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TOM SWIFT AND HIS 
WIZARD CAMERA 


OR 


Thrilling Adventures While Taking 
Moving Pictures 


BY 
VICTOR APPLETON 


AUTHOR OF ‘TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-CYCLE,” “TOM SWIFT ANB A® 
SUBMARINE BOAT,” “TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP,” 
**,OoM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE,” 
*“TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY,” ETC, 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW YORK 
GROSSET & DUNLAP 


PUBLISHERS 
Made in the United States of America 


BOOKS BY VICTOR APPLETON 


THE TOM SWIFT SERIES 


TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-CYCLE 
Or Fun and Adventures on the Road 
‘TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-BOAT 
Or The Rivals of Lake Carlcopa 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP 
Or the Stirring Cruise of the Red Cloud 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT 
Or Under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT 
Or the Speediest Car on the Road 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE 
Or the Castaways of Earthquake Island 
TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS 
Or the Secret of Phantom Mountain 
TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE 
Or the Wreck of the Airship 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER 
Or The Quickest Flight om Record 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE 
Or Daring Adventures in Elephant Land 
TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD 
Or Marvelous Adventures Underground 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
Or Seeking the Platinum Treasure 
TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY 
Or A Daring Escape by Airship 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 
Or Thrilling Adventures While Taking Moving Pictures 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT 
Or On the Border for Uncle Sam 
(Other Volumes in Preparation) 


J2mo. Cloth Illustrated. Price, per volume, 50 cents, 
postpai 


GROSSET & DUNLAP 
PUBLISHERS NEW YORK 





CopyRIGHT, 1912 By 
GROSSET & DUNLAP 





Zom Swift and His Wizard Camera 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 
A STRANGE OfFrER.......... See Dus sy ord nadlas t 
A MAN IN THE SNOW BANK.....cccecccces Iz 
POM MARES UP 11S MIND... sees eee sce es or 
ONG Peco aii tinct nie us iscewls veisahwke bac 31 
ME aS A WARNING oy i.c'o veces wa aes cone 43 
Mee the tae. CAMERA. oo okoc os ue cnet eden. St 
WHAT THE CAMERA CAUGHT.....ccceereces 59 
PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP......ee0: Deven 67 
RNR TAA. Fcliloig Fd Win'da ona d's 0 saa des 78 
TIMER PRCTED VXCTTEMENT. occ ices vc cinss eee 87 
PEE LRPRANT “STAMPEDE. ce aeoucnsscavece 94 
POM ICUT yer cs hese yds wd eoaes ence ye 103 
PEROT MLL IDE, 5 du ew as bd oee W's oo dein oe)a ae 116 
Pr MARE ATO ASALD .\. 0 u)5'n'e csi sees 40s eas > eave Lae 
SNAPPING AN AVALANCHE. sseeeseeeseeeeees 130 
EMG RAPH  CRDEERS . ol ck sch ess veses'uecee ce ’s 139 
ee PtEIOIS” STRANGERS vice de esis pxs'e'w enous ac 145 
Se OR ONTIVE <DATIUE.\« ss sii sa.e' 4 nish Onsie ¢' ie 158 
EEA ASS 6a Sc reu'c yh kee cata vewsewcwen 162 
AFTER THE ENGLISHMEN..... SS EL anes ca lees 169 


111 


iv CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 
AAI) THe) JONGEE "Rime Vole oe eee eee 175 
AAI A DANGEROUS ‘COMMISSION..22 6 fos eeee 183 

A XII At. THE VOLCANO... J...) «ons Oe eee 189 

AATY . Tam: Morren River. -. 5.2 .2600 See ee _ 306 


XXV THe EArTHQUAKE—CONCLUSION..cccscecece 202 


TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD 
CAMERA 


CHAPTER I 
A STRANGE OFFER 


“SOME one to see you, Mr. Tom.” 

It was Koku, or August, as he was sometimes 
called, the new giant servant of Tom Swift, who 
made this announcement to the young inventor. 

“Who is it, Koku?” inquired Tom, looking up 
from his work-bench in the machine shop, where 
he was busy over a part of the motor for his new 
noiseless airship. “Any one I know? Is it the 
‘Blessing Man?’ ” for so Koku had come to call 
Mr. Damon, an eccentric friend of Tom’s. 

“No, not him. A strange man. I never seé 
before. He say he got quick business.” 

“Quick business; eh? I guess you mean im- 
portant, Koku,” for this gigantic man, one of a 
pair that Tom had brought with him after his 


captivity in “Giant Land,” as he called it, could 
I 


2 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


not speak English very well, as yet. “Important 
business; eh, Koku? Did he send in his card?” 

“No, Mr. Tom. Him say he have no card. 
You not know him, but he very much what you 
call—recited.” 

“Excited I guess you mean, Koku. Well, tell 
him to wait a few minutes, and I’ll see him. You 
can show him in then. But I say, Koku,” and 
Tom paused as he looked at the big man, who had 
attached himself to our hero, as a sort of per- 
sonal helper and bodyguard. 

“Ves, Mr.’Tom: what is itt] 

“Don’t let him go poking around the shop. He 
might look at some of my machines that I 
haven’t got fufty patented yet. Is he in the front 
office ?” 

“That’s where him am. He be lookin’ at 
pictures on the walls.” 

“Oh, that’s all right then. Just keep him there. 
And, Koku, don’t let him come back in the shop 
here, until I get ready to see him. I'll ring the 
bell when I am.” 

“All right, Mr.°Tom.” 

Koku, very proud of his mission of keeping 
guard over the strange visitor, marched from 
the room with his big strides, his long arms and 
powerful hands swinging at his sides, for Koku, 
or August, as Tom had rechristened him, and as 


A STRANGE OFFER 2 


he often called him (for it was in the month of 
August that he had located the giants) was a 
very powerful man. A veritable giant, being ex- 
tremely tall, and big in proportion. 

“Be sure. Don’t let him in here, Koku!” called! 
‘fom, in an additional warning, as his new ser- 
vant left the main shop. 

“Sure not!” exclaimed Koku, very earnestly. 

“T don’t know who he may be,” mused Tom, as 
he began putting away the parts to his new 
noiseless motor, so that the stranger could not 
see them, and profit thereby. “It looks rather 
funny, not sending in his name. It may be some 
one who thinks he can spring a trick on me, and 
get some points about my inventions, or dad’s. 

“It may even be somebody sent on by Andy 
Foger, or his father. I can’t be too careful. Tl 
just put everything away that isn’t fully covered 
by patents, and then if he wants to infringe on 
any of the machines I can sue him.” 

Tom looked about the shop, which was filled 
with strange machinery, most of which had been 
made by himself, or his father, or under their 
combined directions. There was a big biplane 
in one corner, a small monoplane in another, parts 
of a submarine boat hanging up overhead, and a 
small, but very powerful, electric auto waiting 
to have some repairs made to it, for on his last 


4. TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


trip in it Tom Swift had suffered a slight 
accident. 

“There, I guess he can’t see anything but what 
I want him to,” mused Tom, as he put away the 
last part of a new kind of motor, from which 
he hoped great things. “Let’s see, yes, it’s out 
of sight now. I wish Ned Newton, or Mr. 
Damon were here to be a witness in case he starts 
anything. But then I have Koku, even if he 
doesn’t speak much English yet. If it comes to 
blows—well, I wouldn’t want that giant to hit 
me,” finished Tom with a laugh, as he rang the 
bell to announce to his servant that the visitor 
might be shown in. 

There was a sound outside the door that sep- 
arated the business office from the main shop, 
and Tom heard Koku exclaim: 

“Hold on! Wait! I go first. You wait!” 

“What’s the matter with me going ahead?” de- 


manded a quick, snappy voice. “I’m in a hurry, 
3? 
an 





“You wait! I go first,” was the giant’s reply, 
“and then came the sound of a scuffle. 

“Ouch! Say! Hold on there, my man! Take 
your hand off my shoulder! You’re crushing me 
with those big fingers of yours!” 

This was evidently the visitor remonstrating 
with the giant. 


A STRANGE OFFER 5 


“Humph! I guess Koku must have grabbed 
him,” said Tom softly. “I don’t like that sort 
of a visitor. What’s his hurry getting in here?” 
and our hero looked about, to see if he had a 
Weapon at hand in case of an attack. Often 
cranks had forced their way into his shop, with 
pet inventions which they wanted him to perfect 
after they had themselves failed. Tom saw a 
heavy iron bar at hand, and knew this would 
serve to protect him. 

“You come after me!” exclaimed Koku, when 
the voice of the other had ceased. “Do you 
stand under me?” 

“Oh, yes, I understand all right. Ill keep 
back. But I didn’t mean anything. I’m just in 
a hurry to see Tom Swift, that is all. I’m always 
in a hurry in fact. IDve lost nearly a thousand 
dollars this morning, just by tis delay. I want 
to see Mr. Swift at once; and have a talk with 
him.” 

“Another crank, I guess,” mused Tom. “Well, 
I’m not going to waste much time on him.” 

A moment later the door opened, and into the 
shop stepped Koku, followed by a short, stout, 
fussy little man, wearing a flaming red tie, but 
~therwise his clothes were not remarkable. 

“Is this Mr. Tom Swift?” asked the stranger, 


6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


as he advanced and held out his hand to the young 
man. 

“Yes,” answered Tom, looking carefully at 
thé visitor. He did not seem to be dangerous, 
he had no weapon, and, Tom was relieved to 
note that he did not carry some absurd machine, 
or appliance, that he had made, hoping to get 
help in completing it. The youth was trying to 
remember if he had ever seen the stranger be- 
fore, but came to the conclusion that he had not. 

“Sorry to take up your time,” went on the 
man, “but I just had to see you. No one else 
will do. Tve heard lots about you. That was 
a great stunt you pulled off, getting those giants 
for the circus. This is one; isn’t he?” and he 
nodded toward Koku. 

“Yes,” replied Tom, wondering if the little 
man was in such a hurry why he did not get 
down to business. 

“T thought so,” the caller went on, as he shook 
hands with Tom. “Once you felt his grip you’d 
know he was a giant, even if you didn’t see him. 
Yes, that was a great stunt. And going to the 
caves of ice, too, and that diamond-making affair. 
All of ’em great. I . 

“How did you know about them?” interrupted 
Tom, wishing the man would tell his errand. 

“Oh, you’re better known than you have any, 





A STRANGE OFFER 74 


idea of, Tom Swift. As soon as I got this idea 
of mine I said right away, to some of the others 
in my business, I says, says I, ‘Tom Swift is the 
boy for us. I’ll get him to undertake this work, 
and then it will be done to the Queen’s taste. 
Tom’s the boy who can do it,’ I says, and they all 
agreed with me. So I came here to-day, and I’m 
sorry I had to wait to see you, for I’m the busiest 
man in the world, I believe, and, as I said, I’ve 
fost about a thousand dollars waiting to have a 
talk with you. I 2 

“Tam sorry,” interrupted Tom, and he was not 
very cordial. “But I was busy, and y 

“All right! All right! Don’t apologize!” broke 
in the man in rapid tones, while both Tom, and 
his servant, Koku, looked in surprise at the quick 
flow of language that came from him. “Don’t 
apologize for the world. It’s my fault for both- 
ering you. And I’ll lose several thousand dollars, 
willingly, if you'll undertake this job. I'll make 
money from it as it is. It’s worth ten thousand 
dollars to you, I should say, and I’m willing to 
pay that.” 

He looked about, as though for a seat, and 
Tom, apologizing for his negleet in offering one, 
shoved a box forward. 

“We don’t have chairs in here,” said the 








8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


young inventor with a smile. “Now if you will 
tell me what you: # 

“T’m coming right to it. I'll get down to busi- 
ness in a moment,” interrupted the man as he sat 
down on the box, not without a grunt or two, 
for he was very stout. “I’m going to introduce 
myself in just a second, and then I’m going to 
tell you who Tam. And I hope you'll take up my 
offer, though it may seem a strange one.” 

The man took out a pocketbook, and began 
searching through it, evidently for some card 
or paper. . 

“He’s as odd as Mr. Damon is, when he’s bless- 
ing everything,” mused Tom, as he watched the 
man. )\» 

“T thought I had a card with me, but I 
haven’t,” the visitor went on. “No matter. [Tm 
James Period—promoter of all kinds of amuse- 
ment enterprises, from a merry-go-round to a 
theatrical performance. I want you to s 

“No more going after giants,” interrupted 
Tom. “It’s too dangerous, and I haven’t time 
to 39 ; 

“No, it has nothing to do with giants,” spoke 
Mr. Period, as he glanced up at Koku, wha 
towered over him as he sat on the box near Tom, 

“Well?” returned Tom. 











A STRANGE OFFER 9 


“This is something entirely new. It has never 
been done before, though if you should happen to 
be able to get a picture of giants don’t miss the 
opportunity.” 

“Get a picture?” exclaimed Tom, wondering 
if, after all, his visitor might not be a little insane. 

“Pictures, yes. Listen. I’m James Period. 
Jim, if you like it better, or just plain ‘Spotty.’ 
That’s what most of my friends call me. Get the 
idea? A period is a spot. I’m a Period, there- 
for I’m a spot. But that isn’t the real reason. 
It’s because I’m always Johnny on the Spot when 
anything is happening. If it’s a big boxing ex- 
hibition, I’m there. If it’s a coronation, I’m 
there, or some of my men are. If it’s a Durbar 
4n India, you’ll find Spotty on the spot. That’s 
me. If there’s going to be a building blown up 
with dynamite—I’m on hand; or some of my 
men. If there’s a fire I get there as soon as the 
engines do—if it’s a big one. Always on the 
spot—that’s me—James Period—Spotty for 
short. Do you get me?” and he drew a long 
breath and looked at Tom, his head on one side. 

“TI understand that you are ‘ 

“In the moving picture business,” interrupted 
Mr. Period, who never seemed to let Tom finish 
a sentence. “I’m the biggest moving picture man 
in the world—not in size, but in business. I make 





40 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


all the best films. You’ve seen some of ’em I 
guess. Every one of ’em has my picture on the 
end of the film. Shows up great. Advertising 
scheme—get me?” 

“Yes,” replied Tom, as he recalled that he had 
seen some of the films in question, and good ones 
they were too. “I see your point, but ig 

“You want to know why I come to you; don’t 
you?” again interrupted “Spotty,” with a laugh, 
“Well, I'll tell you. I need you in my business. 
I want you to invent a new kind of moving pic- 
ture camera. A small light one—worked by elec- 
tricity—a regular wizard camera. I want you to 
take it up in an airship with you, and then go to 
all sorts of wild and strange countries, Africa, 
India—the jungles—get pictures of wild animals 
at peace and fighting—herds of elephants—get 
scenes of native wars—earthquakes—eruptions of 
volcanoes—all the newest and most wonderful 
pictures you can. You'll have to make a new 
kind of camera to do it. The kind we use won’t 
do the trick. 

“Now do you get me? I’m going to give you 
ten thousand dollars, above all your expenses, for 
some films such as I’ve been speaking of. I want 
novelty. Got to have it in my business! You 
can do it. Now will you?” 

“T hardly think ” began Tom. 








A STRANGE OFFER xr 


“Don’t answer me now,” broke in Mr. Period. 
“Take four minutes to think it over. Or even 
five. I guess I can wait that long. Take five 
minutes. I'll wait while you make up your mind, 
‘but I know you'll do it. Five minutes—no more,” 
and hastily getting up off the box Mr. Period 
began impatiently pacing up and down the shop, 


CHAPTER II 
A MAN IN THE SNOW BANK 


Tom Swirt looked somewhat in surprise at his 
strange visitor. It had all happened so suddenly, 
the offer had been such a strange one, the man 
himselfi—Mr. Period—was so odd, that our hero 
hardly knew what to think. The moving picture 
agent continued pacing up and down the room, 
now and then looking at his watch as if to note 
when the five minutes had passed. 

“No,” said Tom to himself. “I’m not going 
to take this offer. There’s too much work and 
risk attached to it. I want to stay at home and 
work on my noiseless motor for the airship. After 
that—well—I don’t know what Pll do. Il tell 
Mr. Period that he needn‘t wait the five minutes. 
My mind is made up now!” 

But as Tom was about to make this announce. 
ment, and dismiss his caller, he looked again at 
the visitor. There was something attractive 
about him—about his hasty way of talking, about 


his manner of interrupting, about the way he pro- 
I2 


A MAN IN THE SNOW BANK 13 


posed matters. Tom was interested in spite of 
himself. 

“Well,” he reflected, “I may as well wait until 
the five minutes are up, anyhow.” 

Koku, the giant servant, glanced at his young 
master, as if to ask if there was anything that 
he could do. Tom shook his head, and then the 
big man strolled over to the other side of the 
machine shop, at the same time keeping a care- 
ful eye on Mr. Period. 

While Tom is waiting for the time to expire, 
I will take a few minutes to tell you something 
more about him. Those of my friends who have 
read the previous books in this series need no 
introduction to my hero, but those who may 
chance upon this as their first book in the Tom 
Swift series, will like to be more formally 
introduced. 

Tom, whose mother had been dead some years, 
lived with his father, Barton Swift, in the town 
of Shopton. Mr. Swift was an inventor of 
prominence, and his son was fast following in 
his footsteps. A Mrs. Baggert kept house for the 
Swifts, and another member of the household 
was Eradicate Sampson, an aged colored man, 
who said he used to “eradicate” the dirt. He had 
been with Tom on many trips, but of late was 
getting old and feeble. Then there was Garret 


14. YOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


Jackson, an engineer employed by ‘the Swifts. 
These were all the immediate members of the 
household. 

Tom had a chum, Ned Newton, who used to 
work in a bank, and there was a girl, Mary Nes- 
tor, a daughter of Amos Nestor, in which young 
lady Tom was much interested. 

Eradicate Sampson had a mule, Boomerang, of 
whom he thought almost as much as he did of 
Tom. Eradicate was a faithful friend and ser- 
vant, but, of late, Koku, or August, the giant, 
had rather supplanted him. I must not forget 
Mr. Wakefield Damon, of Waterfield, a village 
near Shopton. Mr. Damon was an odd man, 
always blessing everything. He and Tom were 
good friends, and had been on many trips to- 
gether. 

The first book of the series was called “Tom 
Swift and His Motor-Cycle,” and related how 
Tom bought the cycle from Mr. Damon, after the 
latter had met with an accident on it, and it was 
in this way that our hero became acquainted with 
the odd man. 

Tom had many adventures on his motor-cycle, 
and, later. on he secured a motor-boat, in which 
he beat his enemy, Andy Foger, in a race. Next 
Tom built an airship, and in this he went on a 
wonderful trip. Returning from this he and his 


A MAN IN THE SNOW BANK 15 


father heard about a treasure sunken under the 
ocean. In his submarine boat Tom secured the 
valuables, and made a large sum for himself. 

In his electric runabout, which was the swiftest 
car on the road, Tom was able to save from ruin 
a bank in which his father was interested, and, 
a'short time after that, he went on a trip in an 
airship, with a man who had invented a new 
kind. The airship was smashed, and fell to 
Earthquake Island, where there were some refu- 
gees from a shipwreck, among them being the 
parents of Mary Nestor. In the volume called 
“Tom Swift and His Wireless Message,” I told 
how he saved these people. 

When Tom went among the diamond makers 
he had more strange adventures, on that trip dis- 
covering the secret of phantom mountain. He 
had bad luck when he went to the caves of’ ice, 
for there his airship was wrecked. 

When Tom made the trip in his sky racer he 
broke all records for an aerial flight, incidentally 
saving his father’s life. It was some time after 
this when he invented an electric rifle, and went 
to elephant land, to rescue some missionariesi 
from the red pygmies. 

The eleventh volume of the series is called 
“Tom Swift in the Land of Gold,” and relates 
his adventures underground, while the next one 


16 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


tells of a new machine he invented—an air-glider 
-—which he used to save the exiles of Siberia, in- 
cidentally, on that trip, finding a valuable de- 
posit of platinum. 

As I have said, it was on his trip to giant 
land that Tom got his big servant. This book, 
the thirteenth of the series, is called “Tom Swift 
in Captivity,” for the giants captured him and 
his friends, and it was only by means of their 
airship that they made their daring escape. 

Tom had been back from the strange land 
some time now. One giant he had turned over 
to the circus representative for whom he had 
undertaken the mission, and the other he re- 
tained to work around his shop, as Eradicate was 
getting too old. It was now winter, and there 
had been quite a fall of snow the day before 
Mr. Period, the odd moving picture man, called 
on Tom. There were many big drifts outside 
the building. : 

Tom had fitted up a well-equipped shop, where 
he and his father worked on their inventions. 
Occasionally Ned Newton, or Mr. Damon, would 
come over to help them, but of late Tom had 
been so busy on his noiseless motor that he had 
not had time to even see his friends. 

“Well, I guess the five minutes have passed, 
and my mind is made up,” thought Tom, ae ke 


A MAN IN THE SNOW BANK 17 


looked at his watch. “I might as well tell Mr. 
Period that I can’t undertake his commission. In 
the first place it isn’t going to be an easy matter 
to make an electric moving picture camera. I'd 
have to spend a lot of time studying up the sub- 
ject, and then I might not be able to get it to 
work right. 

“And, again, I can’t spare the time to go to all 
sorts of wild and impossible places to get the 
pictures. It’s all well enough to talk about get- 
ting moving pictures of natives in battle, or wild 
beasts fighting, or volcanoes in action, but it isn’t 
so easy to do it. Then, too, I’d have to make 
some changes in my airship if I went on that trip. 
No, I can’t go. Ill tell him he’ll have to find 
some one else.” 

Mr. Period pulled out his watch, opened it 
quickly, snapped it shut again, and exclaimed: 

“Well, how about it, Tom Swift? When can 
you start! The sooner the better for me! You'll 
want some money for expenses I think. I brought 
my check book along, also a fountain pen. I'll 
give you a thousand dollars now, for I know 
making an electric moving picture camera isn’t 
going to be cheap work. Then, when you get 
ready to start off in your airship, you'll need 
more money. I’ll be Johnny-on-the-spot all right, 


18 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


and have it ready for you. Now when do you 
think you can start?” 

He sat down at a bench, and began filling out 
a check. 

“Hold on!” cried Tom, amused in spite of him- 
self. “Don’t sign that check, Mr. Period. I’m 
not going.” 

“Not going?” The man’s face showed blank 
amazement. 

“No,” went on Tom. “I can’t spare the time. 
I’m sorry, but you'll have to get some one else.” 

“Some one else? But who can I get?” 

“Why, there are plenty who would be glad of 
the chance.” : | 
“But they can’t invent an electric moving pic- 
ture camera, and, if they could, they wouldn’t 
know enough to take pictures with it. It’s got 
to be you or no one, Tom Swift. Look here, 
I’ll make it fifteen thousand dollars above ex- 

penses.” 

“No, I’m sorry, but I can’t go. My work here 
keeps me too busy.” 

“Oh, pshaw! Now, look here, Tom Swift! 
Do you know who sent me fo see you?” 

“No: 99 

“Tt was Mr. Nestor, who has a daughter named 
Mary, I believe. Mr. Nestor is one of the direc- 
tors in our company, and one day, when he told 


‘A MAN IN THE SNOW BANK 19 


me about you sending a wireless message from 
Earthquake Island, I knew you would be the very 
man for me. So now you see you'll be doing 
Mr. Nestor a favor, as well as me, if you go on 
this trip.” 

Tom was somewhat surprised, yet he realized 
that Mr. Period was speaking the truth. Mr. 
Nestor was identified with many new enterprises. 
Yet the youth was firm. 

“TI really can’t go,” said our hero. “I'd like 
to, but I can’t. I'd like to oblige Mr. Nestor, for 
—well, for more reasons than one,” and Tom 
blushed slightly. “But it is out of the question. 
I really can’t go.” | 

“But you must!” insisted the camera man. “I 
won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. You've got to 
go, Tom Swift, do you hear that? You've got 
to gor” 

Mr. Period was apparently very much ex- 
cited. He strode over to ,Tom, and smote his 
hands together to emphasize what he said. Then 
he shook his finger at Tom, to impress the im- 
portance of the matter on our hero. | 

“You've just got to go!” he cried. “You're 
the only one who can help, me, Tom. Do go! 
I'll pay you well, and—oh, well, I know you don’t 
need the money, exactly, but—say, you’ve got 
to go!” 


20 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


In his earnestness Mr. Period laid his hand on 
Tom’s arm. The next instant something hap- 
pened. 

With a few big strides Koku was beside the 
picture man. With great quickness he grasped 
Mr. Period by the coat collar, lifted him off his 
feet with one hand, and walked over to a window 
with him, easily lifting him above the floor. — 

With one fling the giant tossed the short, stout 
gentleman out into a snow bank, while Tom 
looked on, too surprised to do anything, even if 
he had had the chance. 

“There. You touch Tom Swift again, and I 
sit on you and keep you under snow!” cried the 
giant, while Mr. Period kicked and squirmed 
about in the drift, as Tom made a leap forward 
to help him out. 


CHAPTER IiIl 
TOM MAKES UP HIS MIND 


“GrEAT Scotr!” yelled the picture man. 
“What in the world happened to me? Did I get 
kicked by that mule Boomerang of Eradicate’s, 
that Pve heard so much about? Or was it an 
‘ earthquake, such as I want to get a picture of? 
What happened ?” 

He was still floundering about in the deep bank 
of snow that was just outside the window. For- 
tunately the sash had been up, and Koku had 
tossed Mr. Period through the open window. 
Otherwise, had there been glass, the well-mean- 
ing, but unreasoning giant would probably have 
_ thrown his victim through that, and he might 
have been badly cut. Tom had the window open 
for fresh air, as it was rather close in the shop. 

“Why, Koku!” exclaimed the young inventor, 
as he leaned out of the window, and extended his 
hand to the moving picture man to help him out 
of the drift. “What do vou mean by that?” 
Have you gone crazy?” 

21 


22 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“No, but no one shall lay hands on my master!” 
declared the giant half savagely. “I have vowed 
to always protect you from danger, in return for 
what you did for me. I saw this man lay his 
hand on you. In another moment he might have 
killed you, had not Koku been here. There is 
no danger when I am by,” and he stretched out 
his huge arms, and looked ferocious. “I have 
turned over that man, your enemy!” he added. 

“Yes, you overturned me all right,” admitted 
Mr. Period, as he got to his feet, and crawled in 
through the window to the shop again. “I went 
head over heels. I’m glad it was clean snow, and 
not a mud bank, Tom. What in the world is the 
matter with him?” 

“IT guess he thought you were going to harm 
me,” said Tom in a low voice, as the picture man 
came in the shop. ‘“Koku is very devoted to me, 
and sometimes he makes trouble,” the youth went 
on. “But he means it all for the best. I am very 
sorry for what happened,” and Tom aided Mr. 
Period in brushing the snow off his garments. 
“Koku, you must beg the pas of this gentle- 
man,” Tom directed. 

“What for?” the giant wanted to know. 

“For throwing him into the snow. It is not al- 
lowed to do such things in this country, even 
though it is in Giant Land. Beg his pardon.” 


TOM MAKES UP HIS MIND 23 


“T shall not,” said the giant calmly, for Tom 
had taught him to speak fairly good English, 
though sometimes he got his words backwards. 
The man was about to kill you, and I stopped 
him—I will stop him once more, though if he 
does not like the snow, I can throw him some- 
where else.” 

“No! No! You must not do it!” cried Tom. 
“He meant no harm. He is my friend.” 

“T am glad to hear you say that,” exclaimed 
the picture man. “I have hopes that you will do 
what I want.” 

“He your friend?” asked Koku wonderingly. 

“Certainly; and you must beg his pardon for 
what you did,” insisted Tom. 

“Very well. I am glad you did not hurt your- 
self,” said the giant, and with that “apology” he 
stalked out of the room, his feelings evidently 
very much disturbed. 

“Ha! Ha!” laughed Mr. Period. “I guess 
he can’t see any one but you, Tom. But never 
mind. I know he didn’t mean anything, and, as 
I’m none the worse I’ll forgive him. My necktie 
isn’t spotted ; is it?” 

“No, the snow didn’t seem to do that any 
harm,” replied the young inventor, as he looked 
at the brilliant piece of red silk around Mr. Peri- 
od’s collar. 


24 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“T am very particular about my neckties,” went 
on the picture man. “I always wear one color. 
My friends never forget me then.” 

Tom wondered how they could ever forget 
him, even though he wore no tie, for his figure 
and face were such as to not easily be forgotten. 

“Tm glad it’s not soiled,” went on “Spotty” as 
he liked to be called. “Now, Tom, you said you 
were my friend. Prove it by accepting my offer, 
Build that wizard camera, and get me some mov: 
ing pictures that will be a sensation. Say you 
will!” 

He looked appealingly at Tom, and, remem- 
bering the rather rude and unexpected treatment 
to which Koku had submitted the gentleman, Tom 
felt his mind changing. Still he was not yet 
ready to give in. He rather liked the idea the 
more he thought of it, but he felt that he had 
other duties, and much to occupy him at home, 
especially if he perfected his silent motor. 

“Will you gor” asked Mr. Period, picking up 
his fountain pen and check book, that he had laid 
aside when he walked over to Tom, just before 
the giant grasped him. “Say you will.” 

The young inventor was silent a moment. He 
thought over the many adventures he had gone 
through—in the caves of ice, in the city of gold, 
escaping from the giants, and the red pygmies— 


TOM MAKES UP HIS MIND 25 


he went over the details of his trips through the 
air, of the dangers under the seas, of those he 
had escaped from on Earthquake Island. Surely 
he was entitled to a little rest at home. 

And yet there was a lure to it all. A certain 
fascination that was hard to resist. Mr. Period 
must have seen what was going on in Tom’s mind, 
for he said: 

“I know you’re going. I can see it. Why, it 
will be just the very thing you need. You'll get 
more fame out of this thing than from any of 
your other inventions. Come, say you'll do it. 

“Tl tell you what I'll do!” he went on eager- 
ly. “After you make the camera, and take a lot 
of films, showing strange and wonderful scenes, 
Vl put at the end of each film, next to my picture, 
your name, and a statement showing that you 
took the originals. How’s that? Talk about be- 
ing advertised! Why you can’t beat it! Millions 
of people will read your name at the picture 
shows every night.” 

“, am not looking for advertisements,” said 
Tom, with a laugh. 

“Well, then, think of the benefit you will be 
to science,” went on Mr. Period quickly. “Think 
of the few people who have seen wild animals as 
they are, of those who have ever seen an earth- 
quake, or a volcano in action. You can go to 


26 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


Japan, and get pictures of earthquakes. They 
have them on tap there. And as for volcanoes, 
why the Andes mountains are full of em. Think 
of how many people will be thankful to you for 
showing them these wonderful scenes.” 

“And think of what might happen if I should 
take a tumble into a crack in the earth, or down 
a hot volcano, or fall into a jungle when there 
was a fight on among the elephants,” suggested 
Tom. “My airship might take a notion to ga 
down when I was doing the photographing,” he 
added. 

“No. Nothing like that will happen to Tom 
Swift,” was the confident answer of the picture 
man. “I’ve read of your doings. You don’t have 
accidents that you can’t get the better of. But 
come, I know you're thinking of it, and I’m sure 
you'll go. Let me make you out this check, sign 
a contract which I have all ready, and then get 
to work on the camera.” 

Tom was silent a moment. Then he said: 

“Well, I admit that there is something attrac- 
tive about it. I hoped I was going to stay home 
for a long time. But——” 

“Then you'll go!” cried Mr. Period eagerly. 
“Here’s the money,” and he quickly filled out a 
check for Tom’s first expenses, holding the slip 
of paper toward the young inventor. 


TOM MAKES UP HIS MIND pe 


“Wait a minute! Hold on!” cried Tom. “Not 
so fast if you please. I haven’t yet made up my 
mind.” 

“But you will; won’t you?” asked Mr. Perioé. 

“Well, Pll make up my mind, one way or the 
other,” replied the young man. “I won’t say 
I'll go, but ay. 

“Vil tell you what I'll do!” interrupted Mr. 
Period. “I’m a busy man, and every second is 
worth money to me. But I'll wait for you to 
make up your mind. I'll give you until to-mor- 
vow night. How’s that? Fair, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, I think so. I am afraid. iv 

“T’m not!” broke in the picture man. “I know 
you'll decide to go. Think of the fun and excite- 
ment you'll have. Now I’ve taken up a lot of 
your time, and I’m going to leave you alone. Ill 
be back to-morrow evening for my answer. But 
I know you're going to get those moving pic- 
tures for me. Is that giant of yours anywhere 
about?” he asked, as he looked cautiously around 
before leaving the shop. “I don’t want to fall 
into his hands again.” 

“T don’t blame you,” agreed Tom. “I never 
knew him to act that way before. But I’ll go 
to the gate with you, and Koku will behave him- 
self. I am sorry——” 

“Don’t mention it!” broke in the picture man. 








28 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“It was worth all I suffered, if you go, and I 
know you will. Don’t trouble yourself to come 
out. I can find my way, and if your giant comes 
after me, I'll call for help.” 

He hurried out before Tom could follow, and, 
hearing the gate click a little later, and no call for 
help coming, our hero concluded that his visitor 
had gotten safely away. 

“Well, what am I going to do about it?” 
mused Tom, as he resumed work on his silent 
motor. He had not been long engaged in re- 
adjusting some of the valves, when he was again 
interrupted. 

This time it was his chum, Ned Newton, whe 
entered, and, as Ned was well known to the 
giant, nothing happened. 

“Well, what’s up, Tom?” asked Ned. 

“Why, did you notice anything unusual?” 
asked Tom. 

“TY saw Koku standing at the gate a while ago, 
looking down the road at a short stout man, with 
a red tie. Your giant seemed rather excited 
about something.” 

“Oh, yes. Tl tell you about it,” and Tom 
related the details of Mr. Period’s visit. 

“Are you going to take his offer?” asked Ned. 

“T’ve got until to-morrow to make up my 
mind. What would you do, Ned?” — 


TOM MAKES UP HIS MIND 29 


“Why, I’d take it in a minute, if I knew how 
to make an electric camera. I suppose it has te 
be a very speedy one, to take the kind of pic- 
tures he wants. Wait, hold on, I’ve just thought 
of a joke. It must be a swift camera—catch 
on—you re Swift, and you make a swift camera; 
see the point?” 

“I do,” confessed Tom, with a laugh. “Well, 
Ned, I’ve been thinking it over, but I can’t decide 
right away. I will to-morrow night, though.” 

“Then I’m coming over, and hear what it is. 
If you decide to go, maybe you'll take me along.” 

“T certainly will, and Mr. Damon, too.” 

“How about the giant?” 

“Well, I guess there'll be room for him. But 
1 haven’t decided yet. Hand me that wrench 
over there; will you,” and then Tom and Ned 
began talking about the new apparatus on which 
the young inventor was working. 

True to his promise Mr. Period called the next 
evening. He found Tom, Ned and Mr. Swift in 
the library, talking over various matters. 

“Well, Tom, have you made up your mind?” 
asked the caller, when Mrs. Baggert, the house- 
keeper, had shown him into the room. “I hope 
you have, and I hope it is favorable to me.” 

“Yes,” said Tom slowly, “I’ve thought it all 
over, and I have decided that I will i 





~ gO TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


At that moment there was a loud shouting out- 
side the house, and the sound of some one run- 
ning rapidly through the garden that was just 
outside the low library window—a garden now 
buried deep under snow. | 

“What’s that?” cried Ned, jumping to his 
feet. 

“That was Koku’s voice,” replied Tom, “and 
T guess he was chasing after some one.” 

“They'll need help if that giant gets hold of 
them,” spoke Mr. Period solemnly, while the 
noise outside increased in volume. 


CHAPTER IV 
HELD FAST © 


“Here, Tom! Come back! Where are you 
going?” cried aged Mr. Swift, as his son started 
toward the window. 

“T’m going to see what’s up, and who it is 
that Koku is chasing,” replied the young in- 
ventor. 

As he spoke he opened the window, which went 
all the way down to the floor. He stepped out 
on a small balcony, put his hand on the railing, 
and was about to leap over. Back of him was 
his father, Mr. Period and Ned. 

“Come back! You may get hurt!” urged Mr. 
Swift. He had aged rapidly in the last few 
months, and had been obliged to give up most 
of his inventive work. Naturally, he was very 
nervous about his son. 

“Don’t worry, dad; replied the youth. “I’m 
not in much danger when Koku is around.” 

“That’s right, agreed the moving picture man. 
“T’d sooner have that giant look after me than 
half a dozen policemen.” 

SI 


1»? 


32 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


The noise had now grown fainter, but the 
sound of the pursuit could still be heard. Koku 
was shouting in his hearty tones, and there was 
the noise of breaking twigs as the chase wound 
in and out of the garden shrubbery. 

Tom paused a moment, to let his eyes get 
somewhat used to the darkness. There was a 
crescent moon, that gave a little light, and the 
snow on the ground made it possible to notice 
objects fairly well. 

“See anything?” asked Ned, as he joined his 
chum on the balcony. 

“No, but I’m going to have a closer look. Here 
goes!” and Tom leaped to the ground. 

“T’m with you,” added Ned, as he followed. 

Then came another voice, shouting: 

“Dat’s de way! Catch him! I’se comin’, I is! 
Ef we gits him we'll tie him up, an’ let Boom- 
erang walk on him!” 

“Here comes Eradicate,” announced Tom, 
with a look back toward his chum, and a moment 
later the aged colored man, who had evidently 
started on the chase with Koku, but who had 
been left far behind, swung totteringly around 
the corner of the house. 

“Did ye cotch him, Massa Tom?” asked 
Eradicate. “Did ye cotch de raskil?” 


HELD FAST 83 


“Not yet, Rad. But Koku is after him. Who 
was he, and what did he do?” 

“Didn't do nuffin yit, Massa Tom, ’case as how 
he didn’t git no chance,” replied the colored man, 
as he hurried along as rapidly as he could be- 
side the two youths. “Koku and I was too quick 
for him. Koku an’ me was a-sittin’ in my shack, 
sort of talkin’ togedder, when we hears a racket 
neah de chicken house. I’se mighty partial t’ de 
chickens, an’ I didn’t want nobody t’ ’sturb ’em. 
Koku was jes’ de same, an’ when we hears dat 
noise, up we jumps, an’ gits t’ chasin.’ He 
runned dis way, an’ us was arter him, but land 
lub yo’, ole Eradicate ain’t so spry as he uster 
be an’ Koku an’ de chicken thief got ahead ob 
me. Leastwise he ain’t no chicken thief yit, ’case 
as how he didn’t git in de coop, but he meant t’ 
be one, jes’ de same.” 

“Are you sure he was after the chickens?” 
asked Tom, with quick suspicion in his mind, for, 
several times of late, unscrupulous persons had 
tried to enter his shop, to get knowledge of his 
valuable inventions before they were patented. 

“Course he were arter de chickens,” replied 
Eradicate. “But he didn’t git none.” 

“Come on, Ned!” cried Tom, breaking into a 
run. “I want to catch whoever this was. Did 
you see him, Rad?” 


34 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Only jes’ had a glimpse ob his back.” 

“Well, you go back to the house and tell father 
and Mr. Period about it. Ned and I will go on 
with Koku. I hope to get the fellow.” 

“Why, Tom?” asked his chum. 

“Because I think he was after bigger game 
than chickens. My noiseless motor, for the new 
airship, is nearly complete, and it may have been 
some one trying to get that. I received an offer 
from a concern the other day, who wished to 
purchase it, and, when I refused to sell, they 
seemed rather put out.” 

The two lads raced on, while Eradicate tottered 
back to the house, where he found Mr. Swift and 
the picture man awaiting him. 

“T guess he got away,” remarked Ned, after 
he and his chum had covered nearly the length 
of the big garden. 

“Tm afraid so,” agreed Tom. “I can’t hear 
Koku any more. Still, I’m not going to give up.” 

Pantingly they ran on, and, a little later, they 
met the big man coming back. 

“Did he get away?” asked Tom. 

“Yes, Mr. Tom, he scaped me all right.” 

“Escaped you mean, Koku. Well, never mind. 
‘You did your best.” 

“T would like to have hold of him,” spoke the 
giant, as he stretched out his big arms. 


HELD FAST 35 


“Did you know who he was?” inquired Ned. 

“No, I couldn’t see his face,” and he gave the 
same description of the affair as had Eradicate. 

“Was it a full grown man, or some one about 
my size?” Tom wanted to know. 

“A man,” replied the giant. 

“Why do you ask that?” inquired Ned, as 
the big fellow went on to resume his talk with 
Eradicate, and the two chums turned to go into 
the house, after the fruitless chase. 

“Because, I thought it might be Andy Foger,” 
was Tom’s reply. “It would be just like him, 
but if it was a man, it couldn’t be him. Andy’s 
rather short.” 

“Besides, hé doesn’t live here any more,” said 
med. | 

“T know, but I heard Sam Snedecker, who 
used to be pretty thick with him, saying the other 
day that he expected a visit from Andy. I hope 
he doesn’t come back to Shopton, even for a day, 
for he always tries to make trouble for me. Well, 
let’s go in, and tell ’em all about our chase after 
a chicken thief.” 

“And so he got away?” remarked Mr. Swift, 
when Tom had completed his story. 

“Yes,” answered the young inventor, as he 
closed, and locked, the low library window, for 
there was a chilly breeze blowing. “I think [ | 


36 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


will have to rig up the burglar alarm on my shop 
again. I don’t want to take any chances.” 

“Do you remember what we were talking 
about, when that interruption came?” asked Mr. 
Period, after a pause. “You were saying, Tom, 
that you had made up your mind, and that was 
as far as you got. What is your answer to my 
offer ?” 

“Well,” spoke the lad slowly, and with a smile, 
“T think I will 2 

~“Now don’t say ‘no’”; interrupted the pic- 
ture man. “If you are going to say ‘no’ take five 
minutes more, or even ten, and think it over 
carefully. I want you “4 

“TI wasn’t going to say ‘no,’ ” replied Tom. “T 
have decided to accept your offer, and I'll get 
right at work on the electrical camera, and see 
what I can do in the way of getting moving pic- 
tures for you.” 

“You will? Say, that’s great! That’s fine! I 
knew you would accept, but I was the least bit 
afraid you might not, without more urging.” 

“Of course,” began Tom, “it will take = 

“Not another word. Just wait a minute,” in- 
terrupted Mr. Period in his breezy fashion. 
“Take this.” 

He quickly filled out a check and handed it 
to Tom. 











HELD FAST — 37 


“Now sign this contract, which merely says 
that you will do your best to get pictures for me, 
and that you won’t do it for any other concern, 
and everything will be all right. Sign there,” 
he added, pointing to a dotted line, and thrusting 
a fountain pen into Tom’s hand. The lad read 
over the agreement, which was fair enough, and 
signed it, and Ned affixed his name as a witness. 

“Now when can you go?” asked Mr. Period 
eagerly. 

“Not before Spring, I’m afraid,” replied Tom. 
“T have first to: make the camera, and then my 
airship needs overhauling if I am to go on such 
long trips as will be necessary in case I am to 
get views of wild beasts in the jungle.” 

“Well, make it as soon as you can,” begged 
Mr. Period. “I can have the films early next 
Fall then, and they will be in season for the Win- 
ter runs at the theatres. Now, I’m the busiest 
man in the world, and I believe I have lost five 
hundred dollars by coming here to-night. Still, 
I don’t regret it. I’m going back now, and T’ll 
expect to hear from you when you are ready to 
start. There’s my address. Good-bye,” and 
thrusting a card into Tom’s hand he hurried out 
of the room. 

“Won't you stop all night?” called Mr. Swift 
after him. . 


38 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Sorry. Id like to but can’t. Got a big con- 
tract I must close in New York to-morrow morn- 
ing. I’ve ordered a special train to be at the 
Shopton station in half an hour, and I must 
catch that. Good night!” and Mr. Period hur- 
ried away. 

“Say, he’s a hustler all right!” exclaimed Ned. 

“Yes, and I’ve got to hustle if I invent that 
camera,” added Tom. “It’s got to be a specially 
fast one, and one that can take pictures from 4 
long distance. Electricity is the thing to use, I 
guess.” 

“Then you are really going off on this trip, 
Tom?” asked his father, rather wistfully. 

“T’m afraid I am,” replied his son. “I thought 
I could stay at home for a while, but it seems ~ 
not.” 

“T was in hopes you could give me a little 
time to help me on my gyroscope invention,” 
went on the aged man. “But I suppose it will 
keep until you come back. It is nearly finished.” 

“Yes, and I don’t like stopping work on my 
noiseless motor,” spoke Tom. “But that will 
have to wait, too.” 

“Do you know where you are going?” in- 
quired Ned. | 

“Well, Pll have to do considerable traveling 
I suppose to get all the films he wants. But once 


HELD FAST 39 


Ym started I'll like it I guess. Of course you’re 
coming, Ned.” 

“T hope so.” 

“Of course you are!” insisted Tom, as if that 
Settled it. “And I’m sure Mr. Damon will go 
also. I haven’t seen him in some time. I hope 
he isn’t ill.” 

Tom started work on his Wizard Camera, as 

he called it, the next day—that is he began draw- 
ing the designs, and planning how to construct 
it. Ned helped him, and Koku was on hand in 
case he was needed, but there was little he could 
do, as yet. Tom made an inspection of his shop 
the morning after the chicken thief scare, but 
nothing seemed to have been disturbed. 
_ A week passed, and Tom had all the plans 
drawn for the camera. He had made several 
experiments with different forms of electricity 
for operating the mechanism, and had decided on 
a small, but very powerful, storage battery to 
move the film, and take the pictures. 

This storage battery, which would be inside the 
‘camera, would operate it automatically. That 
is, the camera could be set up any place, in the 
jungle, or on the desert, it could be left alone, 
and would take pictures without any one being 
near it. Tom planned to have it operate at a cer- 
tain set time, and stop at a certain time, and he 


40 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


could set the dials to make this time any moment 
of the day or night. For there was to be a 
powerful light in connection with the camera, 
in order that night views might be taken. Be 
sides being automatic ae camera could be worked 
by hand. 

When it was not necessary to have the camera 
operate by the storage battery, it could be con- 
nected to wires and worked by an ordinary set of 
batteries, or by adynamo. This was for use on the 
airship, where there was a big electrical machine. 
I shall tell you more about the camera as the story 
proceeds. 

One afternoon Tom was alone in the shop, 
for he had sent Koku on an errand, and Eradi- 
cate was off in a distant part of the grounds, do- 
ing some whitewashing, which was his specialty. 
Ned had not come over, and Mr. Swift, having 
gone to see some friends, and Mrs. Baggert being 
at the store, Tom, at this particular time, was 
rather isolated. } 

He was conducting some delicate electrical ex- 
periments, and to keep the measuring instruments 
steady he had closed all the windows and doors 
of his shop. The young inventor was working 
at a bench in one corner, and near him, standing 
upright, was a heavy shaft of iron, part of his 


HELD FAST AI 


submarine, wrapped in burlap, and padded, to 
keep it from rusting. 

“Now,” said Tom to himself, as he mixed two 
kinds of acid in a jar, to produce a new sort of 
electrical current, “I will see if this is any better 
than the first way in which I did it.” 

He was careful about pouring out the power- 
ful stuff, but, in spite of this, he spilled a drop 
on his finger. It burned like fire, and, instinc- 
tively, he jerked his hand back. 

The next instant there was a series of hap- 
penings. Tom’s elbow came in contact with ari 
other jar of acid, knocking it over, and spilling 
it into the retort where he had been mixing the 
first two liquids. There was a hissing sound, 
as the acids combined, and a thick, white vapor 
arose, puffing into Tom’s face, and making him 
gasp. ; 

He staggered back, brushed against the heavy 
iron shaft in the corner, and it fell sideways 
against him, knocking him to the floor, and drop- 
ping across his thighs. The padding on it saved 
+44im from broken bones, but the shaft was so 
neavy, that after it was on him, Tom could not 
move. He was held fast on the floor of his 
shop, unable to use his legs, and prevented from 
getting up. 


42 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


For a moment Tom was stunned, and then he 
called: . 

“Help! Help! Eradicate! Koku! Help!” 

He waited a moment, but there was only: a 
silence. : 

And.then Tom smelled a strange odor—an 
odor of a choking gas that seemed to smother 
him. 

It’s the acids!” he cried. “They’re generat- 
ing gas! And I’m held fast here! The place is 
closed up tight, and I can’t move! Help! Help?” 

But there was no one at hand to aid Tom, and 
every moment the fumes of the gas became 
stronger. Desperately the youth struggled to rid 
himself of the weight of the shaft, but he could 
not. And then he felt his senses leaving him, 
for the powerful gas was making him uncon- 
scious. 


CHAPTER V 
TOM GETS A WARNING 


“BLEss my shoe buttons!” exclaimed a voice, 
as a man came toward Tom’s shop, a little later. 
“Bless my very necktie! This is odd. I goto the 
house, and find no one there. I come out here, 
and not a soul is about. Tom Swift can’t have 
gone off on another one of his wonderful trips, 
without sending me word. I know he wouldn’t 
do that. And yet, bless my watch and chain, I 
can’t find any one!” 

It was Mr. Damon who spoke, as my old 
readers have already guessed. He peered into 
one of the shop windows, and saw something 
like a fog filling the place. 

“That’s strange,” he went on. “I don’t see 
Tom there, and yet it looks as if an experiment 
was going on. I wonder " 

Mr. Damon heard’ some one coming up be- 
hind him, and turned to see Koku the giant, who 
was returning ,from the errand on which Tom 
had sent him. 





. 43 


44 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Oh, Koku, it’s you; is it?” the odd man 
asked. “Bless my cuff buttons! Where is Tom?” 

“In shop I guess.” 

“T don’t see him. Still I had better look. There 
doesn’t seem to be any one about.” 

Mr. Damon opened the shop door, and was 
met by such an outward rush of choking gas that 
he staggered back. 

“Bless my ” he began but he had to stop, 
to cough and gasp. “There must have been 
some sort of an accident,” he cried, as he got his 
lungs full of fresh air. “A bad accident! Tom 
could never work in that atmosphere. Whew!” 

“Accident! What is matter?” cried Koku step- 
ping to the doorway. He, too choked and 
gasped, but his was such a strong and rugged 
nature, and his lungs held such a supply of air, 
that it,took more than mere gas to knock him 
out. He peered in through the wreaths of the 
acid vapor, and saw the body of his master, ly- 
ing on the floor—held down by the heavy iron. 

In another instant Koku had rushed in, hold- 
ing his breath, for, now that he was inside the 
place, the gas made even him feel weak. | 

“Come back! Come back!” cried Mr. Damon. 
You'll be smothered! Wait until the gas 
escapes!” . 





TOM GETS 4 WARNING 48 


“Then Mr. Tom die!” cried the giant. “I get 
him—or I no come out.” 

With one heave of his powerful right arm, 
Koku lifted the heavy shaft from Tom’s legs. 
Then, gathering the lad up in his left arm, as 
if he were a baby, Koku staggered out into the 
fresh air, almost falling with his burden, as he 
neared Mr. Damon, for the giant was, well-nigh 
overcome. 

“Bless my soul!” cried the odd man. “Is he— 
is he——” 

He did not finish the sentence, but, as Koku 
“-#q Tom down on the overcoat of Mr. Damon, 
wid the latter quickly spread on the snow, 
the eccentric man put his hand over the heart of 
the young inventor. | 

“Tt beats!” he murmured. ‘“He’s alive, but 
very weak. We must get a doctor at once. [I'll 
do what I can. There’s no time to spare. Bless 
my if 

But Mr. Damon concluded that there was no 
time for blessing anything, and so he stopped 
short. 

“Carry him up to the house, Koku,” he said. 
“T know where there are some medicines, and I’ll 
try to revive him while we’re waiting for the 


199 


doctor Hurry! 





46 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


Tom was laid on a lounge, and, just then, Mrs. 
Baggert came in. 

“Telephone for the doctor!” cried Me Damon 
to the housekeeper, who kept her nerve, and did 
not get excited. “I'll give Tom some ammonia, 
and other’stimulants, and see if I can bring him 
around. Koku, get me some cold water.” 

The telephone was soon carrying the message 
to the doctor, who promised to come at once. 
Koku, in spite of his size, was quick, and soon 
brought the water, into which Mr. Damon put 
some strong medicine, that he found in a closet. 
Tom’s eyelids fluttered as the others forced some 
liquid between his lips. 

“He’s coming around!” cried the eccentric . 
man. “I guess he’ll be all right, Koku.” 

“Koku glad,” said the giant simply, for he 
loved Tom with a deep devotion. 

“Yes, Koku, if it hadn’t been for you, though, 
I don’t believe that he would be alive. That was 
powerful gas, and a few seconds more in there 
might have meant the end of Tom. I didn’t see 
him lying on the floor, until after you rushed in. 
Bless my thermometer! It is very strange.” 

They gave Tom more medicine, rubbed his 
arms and legs, and held ammonia under his nose. 
Slowly he opened his eyes, and in a faint yoice 
asked : 





TOM GETS A WARNING 47 


“Where—am—lI ?” 

“In your own house,” replied Mr. Damon, 
cheerfully. “How do you feel?” 

“Y’m—all—right—now,” said Tom slowly. He, 
felt his strength coming gradually back, and he 
remembered what had happened, though he did 
not yet know how he had been saved. The doc- 
tor came in at this moment, with a small medical 
battery, which completed the restorative work 
begun by the others. Soon Tom could sit up, 
though he was still weak and rather sick. 

“Who brought me out?” he asked, when he 
had briefly told how the accident occurred. 

“Koku did,” replied Mr. Damon. “I guess 
none of the rest of us could have lifted the iron 
shaft from your legs.” 

“Tt’s queer how that fell,” said Tom, with a 
puzzled look on his face. “I didn’t hit it hard 
enough to bring it down. Beside, I had it tied to 
nails, driven into the wall, to prevent just such 
an accident as this. I must see about it when I 
get well.” 

“Not for a couple of days,” exclaimed the doc- 
tor grimly. “You’ve got to stay in bed a while 
yet. You had a narrow escape, Tom Swift.” 

“Well, I’m glad I went to Giant Land,” said 
the young inventor, with a wan smile. “Other-— 
wise I’d never have Koku,” and he looked af- 


48 OM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


fectionately at the big man, who laughed happily. 
In nature Koku was much like a child. 

Mr. Swift came home a little later, and Ned 
Newton called, both being very much surprised te 
hear of the accident. As for Eradicate, the poor 
old colored man was much affected, and would 
have sat beside Tom’s bed all night, had they 
allowed him. | 

Our hero recovered rapidly, once the fumes 
of the gas left his system, and, two days later, 
he was able to go out to the shop again. At his 
request everything had been left just as it was 
after he had been brought out. Of course the 
fumes of the gas were soon dissipated, when 
the door was opened, and the acids, after 
mingling and giving off the vapor, had become 
neutralized, so that they were now harmless. 

“Now I’m going to see what made that shaft 
fall,” said Tom to Ned, as the two chums walked 
over to the bench where the young inventor had 
been working. “The tap I gave it never ought 
to have brought it down.” 

Together they examined the thin, but strong, 
cords that had been passed around the shaft, 
having been fastened to two nails, driven inte 
the wall. 

“Look!” cried Tom, pointing to one of the 
cords. 


——? 
an ayer i) on a 


TOM GETS A WARNING 49 


“What is it?” asked Ned. 

“The strands were partly cut through, so that 
only a little jar was enough to break the remain- 
ing ones,” went on Tom. “They've been cut with 
a knife, too, and not frayed by vibration against 
the nail, as might be the case. Ned, someone has 
been in my shop, meddling, and he wanted this 
shaft to fall. This is a trick!” 

“Great Scott, Tom! You don’t suppose any 
one wanted that shaft to fall on you; do you?” 

“No, I don’t believe that. Probably some one 
wanted to damage the shaft, or he might have 
thought it would topple over against the bench, 
and break some of my tools, instruments or ma- 
chinery. I do delicate experiments here, and it 
wouldn’t take much of a blow to spoil them. 
That’s why those cords were cut.” 

“Who did it? Do you think Andy Foger 

“No, I think it was the man Koku thought was 
a chicken thief, and whom we chased the other 
night. Tve got to be on my guard. I wonder 
if . 








Tom was interrupted by the appearance of 
Koku, who came out of the shop with a letter 
the postman had just left. 

“T don’t know that writing very well, and yet 
it looks familiar,” said Tom, as he tore open the 


so TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


missive. “Hello, here’s more trouble!” he ex 
claimed as he hastily read it. 

“What’s up now?” asked Ned. 

“This is from Mr. Period, the picture man,” 
went on the young inventor. It’s a warning.” 

“A warning?” 

“Yes. He says: 


“Dear Tom. Be on your guard. I under- 
stand that a rival moving picture concern is after 
you. They want to make you an offer, and get 
you away from me. But I trust you. Don’t 
have anything to do with these other fellows. 
And, at the same time, don’t give them a hint as 
to our plans. Don’t tell them anything about 
your new camera. There is a lot of jealousy and 
rivalry in this business and they are all after me. 
They'll probably come to see you, but be on your 
guard. They know that I have been negotiat- 
ing with you. Remember the alarm the other 
night.’ ”’ 





CHAPTER VI 
TRYING THE CAMERA 


“WELL, what do you think of that?” cried Ned, 
as his chum finished. 

“Tt certainly isn’t very pleasant,” replied Tom. 
“I wonder why those chaps can’t let me alone? 
Why don’t they invent cameras of their own? 
Why are they always trying to get my secret 
inventions ?” 

“I suppose they can’t do things for them- 
selves,” answered Ned. “ And then, again, your 
machinery always works, Tom, and some that 
your rivals make, doesn’t.” 

“Well, maybe that’s it,” admitted our hero, 
as he put away the letter. “I will be on the 
watch, just as I have been before. I’ve got the 
burglar alarm wires adjusted on the shop now, 
and when these rival moving picture men come 
after me they'll get a short answer.” 

For several days nothing happened, and Tom 
and Ned worked hard on the Wizard Camera. 
It was nearing completion, and they were plan- 

5I 


52 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


ning, soon, to give it a test, when, one afternoon, 
two strangers, in a powerful automobile, came 
to the Swift homestead. They inquired for Tom, 
,and, as he was out in the shop, with Ned and 
Koku, and as he often received visitors out there, 
Mrs. Baggert sent out the two men, who left 
their car in front of the house. 

As usual, Tom had the inner door to his shop 
locked, and when Koku brought in a message 
that two strangers would like to see the young in- 
ventor, Tom remarked: 

“T guess it’s the rival picture men, Ned. We'll 
see what they have to say.” 

“Which of you is Tom Swift?” asked the 
elder of the two men, as Tom and Ned entered 
the front office, for our hero knew better than to 
admit the strangers to the shop. 

“T am,” replied Tom. 

“Well, we’re men of business,” went on the 
speaker, “and there is no use beating about the 
bush. I am Mr. Wilson Turbot, and this is my 
partner, Mr. William Eckert. We are in the 
business of making moving picture films, and I 
understand that you are associated with Mr. 
Period in this line. ‘Spotty’ we call him.” 

“Yes, Iam doing some work for Mr. Period,” 
admitted Tom, cautiously. 

“Have you done any yet?” 


TRYING THE CAMERA 53 


“No, but I expect to.” 

“What kind of a camera are you going to 
use?” asked Mr. Eckert eagerly. 

“I must decline to answer that,” replied Tom, 
a bit stiffly. 

“Oh, that’s all right,” spoke Mr. Turbot, good 
naturedly. “Only ‘Spotty’ was bragging that 
you were making a new kind of film for him, and 
_ we wondered if it was on the market.” 

“We are always looking for improvements,” 
added Mr. Eckert. 

“This camera isn’t on the market,” replied 
Tom, on his guard as to how he answered. 

The two men whispered together for a mo- 
ment, and then Mr. Turbot said: 

“Well, as I remarked, we’re men of business, 
and there’s no use beating about the bush. We’ve 
heard of you, Tom Swift, and we know you can 
do things. Usually, in this world, every man has 
his price, and we’re willing to pay big to get what 
we want. I don’t know what offer Mr. Period 
made to you, but Pll say this: We'll give you 
double what he offered, for the exclusive rights 
to your camera, whenever it’s on the market, 
and we'll pay you a handsome salary to work 
for us.” 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t consider the offer,” 
«eplied Tom firmly. “I have given my word to 


‘54 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


Mr. Period. I have a contract with him, and I 
cannot break it.” 

“Offer him three times what Period did,” said 
Mr. Eckert, in a hoarse whisper that Tom heard. 

“It would be useless!” exclaimed our hero. “I 
wouldn’t* go back on my word for a hundred 
times the price I am to get. I am not in this 
business so much for the money, as I am for the 
pleasure of it.” 

The men were silent a moment. There were 
ugly looks on their faces. They looked sharply 
at Tom and Ned. Then Mr. Eckert said: 

“You'll regret this, Tom Swift. We are the 
biggest firm of moving picture promoters in the 
world. We always get what we want.” 

“You won’t get my camera,” replied Tom 
calmly. ) 

“I don’t know about that!” exclaimed Mr, 
Turbot, as he made a hasty stride toward Tom, 
who stood in front of the door leading to the 
shop—the shop where his camera, almost ready 
for use, was on a bench. “I guess if we——” 

“Koku!” suddenly called Tom. 

The giant stepped into the front office. He 
had been standing near the door, inside the main 
shop. Mr. Turbot who had stretched forth his 
hand, as though to seize Tom, and his companion, 


TRYING THE CAMERA 55 . 


who had advanced toward Ned, fairly jumped 
back in fright at the sight of the big man. 

“Koku,” went on Tom, in even tones, “just 
show these gentlemen to the front door—and lock 
it after them,” he added significantly, as he 
turned back into the shop, followed by Ned. 

“Yes, Mr. Tom,” answered the giant, and then, 
with his big hand, and brawny fist, he gently 
turned the two men toward the outer door. They 

were gasping in surprise as they looked at the 
giant. 

“You'll be sorry for this, Tom Swift!” ex- 
claimed Mr. Turbot. “You'll regret not having 
taken our offer. This Period chat is only a small 
dealer. We can do better by you. You'll re- 
gret 

“Youll regret coming here again,” snapped 
Tom, as he closed the door of his shop, leaving 
Koku to escort the baffled plotters to their auto. 
Shortly afterward Tom and Ned heard the car 
puffing away. 

“Well, they came, just as Mr. Period said they, 
would,” spoke Tom, slowly. ‘| 

“Yes, and they went away again!” exclaimed 
Ned with a laugh. “They had their trip for noth- 
ing. Say, did you see how they stared at Koku?” 

“Yes, he’s a helper worth having, in cases 
like these.” 





56 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


Tom wrote a full account of what had hap- 
pened and sent it to Mr. Period. He received in 
reply a few words, thanking him for his loyalty, 
and again warning him to be on his guard. 

In the meanwhile, work went on rapidly on the 
Wizard Camera. Briefly described it was a small 
square box, with a lens projecting from it. In- 
side, however, was complicated machinery, much 
too complicated for me to describe. Tom Swift 
had put in his best work on this wonderful ma- 
chine. As I have said, it could be worked by 
a storage battery, by ordinary electric current 
from a dynamo, or by hand. On top was a new 
kind of electric light. This was small and com- 
pact, but it threw out powerful beams. ‘With 
the automatic arrangement set, and the light 
turned on, the camera could be left at a certain 
' place after dark, and whatever went on in front 
of it would be reproduced on the moving roll of 
film inside. 

In the morning the film could be taken out, 
developed, and the pictures thrown on a screen in 
the usual way, familiar to all who have been in 
a moving picture theatre. With the reproduc. 
ing machines Tom had nothing to do, as they 
were already perfected. His task had been to 
make the new-style camera, and it was nearly 
completed. | 


TRYING THE CAMERA 57 


A number of rolls of films could be packed 
into the camera, and they could be taken dut, or 
inserted, in daylight. Of course after one film 
had been made, showing any particular scene 
any number of films could be made from this 
“master” one. Just as is done with the ordinary 
moving picture camera. Tom had an attach- 
ment to show when one roll was used, and when 
another needed inserting. 

For some time after the visit of the rival mov- 
ing picture men, Tom was on his guard. Both 
house and shop were fitted with burglar alarms, 
but they did not ring. Eradicate and Koku were 
told to be on watch, but there was nothing for 
them to do. 

“Well,” remarked Tom to Ned, one after- 
noon, when they had both worked hard, “I think 
it’s about finished. Of course it needs polishing, 
and there may be some adjusting to do, but my 
ramera is now ready to take pictures—at least I’m 
going to give it a test.” 

“Have you the rolls of films?” 

“Yes, half a dozen of ’em And I’m going te 
try the hardest test first.” 

“Which one is that?” 

“The night test. I’m going to place the camera 
out in the yard, facing my shop. Then you and 
{and some of the others, will go out, pass in 


6&8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


front of it, do various stunts, and, in the morn- 
ing we'll develop the films and see what we 
have.” 5 

“Why, are you going to leave the camera out, 
all night?” 

“Sure. - I’m going to give it the hardest kind 
of a test.” 

“But are you and I going to stay up all night 
to do stunts in front of it?” 

“No, indeed. I’m going to let it take what. 
ever pictures happen to come along to be taken, 
after we get through making some special early 
ones. You see my camera will be a sort of watch 
dog, only of course it won’t catch any one—that 
is, only their images will be caught on the film. 

“Oh, I see,” exclaimed Ned, and then he 
helped Tom fix the machine for the test. 


CHAPTER VII 
WHAT THE CAMERA CAUGHT 


“WELL, is she working, Tom?” asked ous 
hero’s chum, a little later, when they had set 
the camera up on a box in the garden. It pointed 
toward the main shop door, and from the mas 
chine came a clicking sound. The electric light 
was glowing. 

“Yes, it’s all ready,” replied Tom. “Now just 
act as if it wasn’t there. You walk toward the 
shop. Do anything you please. Pretend you are 
coming in to see me on business. Act as if it 
was daytime. I’ll stand here and receive you. 
Later, I’ll get dad out here, Koku and Eradicate. 
I wish Mr. Period was here to see the test, but 
perhaps it’s just as well for me to make sure it 
works before he sees it.” 

“All right, Tom, here I come.” 

Ned advanced toward the shop. He tried to 
act as though the camera was not taking pictures 
of him, at the rate of several a second, but he 
forgot himself, and turned to look at the star: 

59 


60 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


ing lens. Then Tom, with a laugh, advanced to 
meet him, shaking hands with him. Then the 
lads indulged in a little skylarking. They threw 
snowballs at each other, taking care, however to 
keep within range of the lens. Of course when 
Tom worked the camera himself, he could point 
it wherever he wanted to, but it was now 
automatic. 

Then the lads went to the shop, and came out 
again. They did several other things. Later 
Koku, and Eradicate did some “stunts,” as Tom 
called them. Mr. Swift, too, was snapped, but 
Mrs. Baggert refused to come out. 

“Well, I guess that will do for now,” said 
Tom, as he stopped the mechanism. “I’ve just 
thought of something,” he added. “If I leave 
the light burning, it will scare away, before they 
got in front of the lens, any one who might come 
along. I'll have to change that part of it.” 

“How can you fix it?” asked Ned. 

“Easily. Til rig up some flash lights, just or- 
dinary photographing flashlights, you know. I'l 
time them to go off one after the other, and con- 
nect them with an electric wire to the door of my 
shop.” 

“Then your idea is ” began Ned. 

“That some rascals may try to enter my shop 
at night. Not this particular night, but any night. 








WHAT THE CAMERA CAUGHT 61 


If they come to-night we’ll be ready for them.” 

“An’ can’t yo’-all take a picture ob de chicken 
coop?” asked Eradicate. “Dat feller may come 
back t’ rob mah hens.” 

“With the lens pointing toward the shop,” 
spoke Tom, “it will also take snap shots of any 
one who tries to enter the coop. So, if the chicken 
thief does come. Rad, we'll have a picture of 
him.” 

Tom and Ned soon had the flashlights in place, 
and then they went to bed, listening, at times, 
fer the puff that would indicate that the camera 
was working. But the night passed without inci- 
dvnt, rather to Tom’s disappointment. However, 
ix the morning, he developed the film of the first 
pictures taken in the evening. Soon they were 
dy enough to be used in the moving picture ma- 
chine, which Tom had bought, and set up in a 
dark room. 

“There we are!” he cried, as the first images 
were thrown on the white screen. “As natural 
as life, Ned! My camera works all right!” 

“That’s so. Look! There’s where I hit you 
with a snowball!” cried his chum, as the sky- 
larking scene was reached. 

“Mah goodness!” cried Eradicate, when he 
saw himself walking about on the screen, as large 
as life. “Dat shorely am wonderful.” 


62 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Tt is spirits!” cried Koku, as he saw himself 
depicted. 

“I wish we had some of the other pictures to 
show,” spoke Tom. “I mean some unexpected 
midnight visitors.” 

For Seyi nights in succession the camera was 
set to “snap” any one who might try to enter the 
shop. The flashlights were also in place. Tom 
and Ned, the latter staying at his chum’s house 
that week, were beginning to think they would 
have their trouble for their pains. But one night 
something happened. 

It was very dark, but the snow on the ground 
made a sort of glow that relieved the blackness. 
The camera had been set as usual, and Tom and 
Ned went to bed. 

It must have been about midnight when they 
were both awakened by hearing the burglar alarm 
go off. At the same time there were several 
flashes of fire from the garden. 

“There she goes!” cried Ned. 

“Yes, they’re trying to get into the shed,” 
added Tom, as a glance at the burglar-alarm in- 
dicator on the wall of the room, showed that the 
shop door was being tried. “Come on!” 

“T’m with you!” yelled Ned. 

They lost little time getting into their doihes 
for they had laid them out in readiness for pute 





WHAT THE CAMERA CAUGHT 63 


ting on quickly. Down the stairs they raced, 
but ere they reached the garden they heard foot- © 
steps running along the wall toward the road. 

“Who’s there?” cried Tom, but there was no 
answer. 

“Koku! Eradicate!” yelled Ned. 

“Yais, sah, I’se comin’!” answered the colored 
man, and the voice of the giant was also heard. 
The flashlights had ceased popping before this, 
and when the two lads and their helpers had 
reached the shop, there was no one in sight. 

“The camera’s there all right!” cried Tom in 
relief as he picked it up from the box. “Now 
to see what it caught. Did you see anything of 
the fellows, Koku, or Eradicate?” Both said 
they had not, but Eradicate, after examining the 
chicken house door by the aid of a lighted match, 
cried out: 

‘““Somebody’s been tryin’ t’ git in heah, Massa 
Tom. I kin see where de do’s been scratched.” 

“Well, maybe we'll have the picture for you to 
look at in the morning,” said Tom. 

The films were developed in the usual way 
in the morning, but the pictures were so small 
that Tom could not make out the features or 
forms of the men. And it was plain that at 
least three men had been around the coop and 
shop. 


64 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


By the use of alcohol and an electric fan Tom 
soon had the films dry enough to use. Then the 
moving picture machine was set up in a dark 
room, and all gathered to see what would be 
thrown on the screen, greatly enlarged. 

First came several brilliant flashes of light, and 
then, as the entrance to the shop loomed into 
view, a dark figure seemed to walk across the 
canvas. But it did not stop at the shop door. 
Instead it went to the chicken coop, and, as the 
man reached that door, he began working to get 
it open. Of course it had all taken place in a 
few seconds, for, as soon as the flashlights went 
off, the intruders had run away. But they had 
been there long enough to have their pictures 
taken. 

The man at the chicken coop turned around 
as the lights flashed, and he was looking squarely 
at the camera. Of course this made his face vety 
plain to the audience, as Tom turned the crank 
of the reproducing machine. 

“Why, it’s a colored man!” cried Ned in 
surprise. | 

“Yes, I guess it’s only an ordinary chicken 
thief, after all,” remarked Tom. 

There was a gasp from Eradicate. 

“Fo’ de land sakes!” he cried. “De raskil! 
Ef dat ain’t mah awn second cousin, what libs 


WHAT THE CAMERA CAUGHT 6: 


down by de ribber! An’ to tink dat Samuel 
*Rastus Washington Jackson Johnson, mah own 
second cousin, should try t’ rob mah chicken 
coop! Oh, won't I gib it t him!” 

“Are you sure, Rad?” asked Tom. } 

“Suah? Sartin I’se suah, Massa Tom,” was 
the answer as the startled colored man on the 
screen stared at the small audience. “I’d know 
dat face ob his’n anywhere.” 

“Well, I guess he’s the only one we caught last 
night,” said Tom, as the disappointed chicken 
thief ran away, and so out of focus. But the 
next instant there came another series of flash- 
light explosions on the screen, and there, almost 
as plainly as if our friends were looking at them, 
they saw two men stealthily approaching the 
shop. They, too, as the chicken thief had done, 
tried the door, and then, they also, startled by the 
flashes, turned around. 

“Look!” cried Ned. 

“Great Scott!” exclaimed Tom. “Those are 
the two rivals of Mr. Period! They are Mr. Tur- 
bot and Mr. Eckert!” : 

“Same men I pushed out!” cried Koku, much 
excited. 

There was no doubt of it, and, as the images 
faded from the screen, caused by the men run- 
ning away, Tom and Ned realized that their 


66 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


rivals had tried to put their threat into execu- 
tion—the threat of making Tom wish he had 
taken their offer. 

“T guess they came to take my camera,—but, 
nstead the camera took them,” #aid the young 
inventor grimly. | | 





CHAPTER VIII 
PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP 


“WELL, Tom, how is it going?” asked a voice 
in the door of the shop where the young in- 
ventor was working. He looked up quickly to 
behold Mr. Nestor, father of Mary, in which 
young lady, as I have said, Tom was much in- 
terested. “How is the moving picture camera 
coming on?” 

“Pretty good, Mr. Nestor. Come in. I guess 
Koku knew you all right. I told him to let in 
any of my friends, but I have to keep him there 
on guard.” 

“So I understand. They nearly got in the 
other night, but I hear that your camera caught 
them.” | 

“Yes, that proved that the machine is a suc- 
cess, even if we didn’t succeed in arresting the 
men.” 

“Did you try?” 

“Yes, I sent copies of the film, showing Turbot 


and Eckert trying to break into my shop, to Mr. 
67 


63 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA — 


Period, and he had enlarged photographs made, 
and went to the police. They said it was rather 
flimsy evidence on which to arrest anybody, and 
10 they didn’t act. However, we sent copies of 
the pictures to Turbot and Eckert themselves, so 
they know that we know they were here, and T 
guess they'll steer clear of me after this.” 

“T guess so, Tom,” agreed Mr. Nestor with 
a laugh. “But what about the chicken thief?” 

“Oh, Eradicate attended to his second cousin. 
Tie went to see him, showed him a print from 
the film, and gave him to understand that he'd 
be blown up with dynamite, or kicked by Boorn- 
erang, if he ever came around here again, and so 
Samuel ’Rastus Washington Jackson Johnson 
will be careful about visiting strange chicken 
coops, after this.” 

“I believe you, Tom. But how is the camera 
coming on?” : 

“Very well. I am making a few changes in it, 
and I expect to get my biggest airship in readi- 
ness for the trip in about a week, and then I'll 
try taking pictures from her. But I understand 
that you are interested in Mr. Period’s business, 
Mr. Nestor?” 

“Yes, I own some stock in the company, and, 
(Tom, that’s what I came over to see you about, 
I need a vacation. Mary and her mother are 





PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP 69 


going away this Spring for a long visit, and I 
was wondering if you couldn’t take me with 
you on the trips you will make to get moving 
pictures for our concern.” 

“Of course I can, Mr. Nestor. “Tl be glad 
to do it.” 

“And there is another thing, Tom,” went on 
Mr. Nestor, soberly. “I’ve got a good deal of 
my fortune tied up in this moving picture affair. 
I want to see you win out—I don’t want our 
rivals to get ahead of us.” 

“They shan’t get ahead of us.” 

“You see, Tom, it’s this way. There is a bitter 
fight on between our concern and that controlled 
by our rivals. Each is trying to get the business 
of a large chain of moving picture theatres 
throughout the United States. These theatre 
men are watching us both, and the contracts for 
next season will go to the concern showing the 
best line of films. If our rivals get ahead of us— 
well, it will just about ruin our company,—and 
about ruin me too, I guess.” 

“T shall do my very best,” answered our hero. 

“Is Mr. Damon going along?” 

“Well, I have just written to ask him. I sent 
the letter yesterday. 

“Doesn't he know what you contemplate?” 

“Not exactly. You see when he came, that 


b 


70. TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


time I was overcome by the fumes from the acids, 
everything was so upset that I didn’t get a chance 
to tell him. He’s been away on business ever 
since, but returned yesterday. I certainly hope 
that he goes with us. Ned Newton is coming, and 
with you, and Koku and myself, it will be a nice 
party.” 

“Then you are going to take Koku?” 

“T think I will. I’m a little worried about what 
these rival moving picture men might do, and if 
I get into trouble with them, my giant helper 
would come in very useful, to pick one up and 
throw him over a tree top, for instance.” 

“Indeed, yes,” agreed Mr. Nestor, with a laugh, 
“But I hope nothing like that happens.” 

“Nothing like that happens?” suddenly asked 
a voice. “Bless my bookcase! but there always 
seems to be something going on here. What’s 
up now, Tom Swift?” 

“Nothing much, Mr. Damon,” replied our hero, 
as he recognized his odd friend. “We were just 
talking about moving pictures, Mr. Damon, and 
about you. Did you get my letter?” 

“T did, Tom.” 

“And are you going wth us?” 

“Tom, did you ever know me to refuse an in- 
vitation from you? I guess not! Of course ’m 
going. But, for mercy sakes, don’t tell my wife! 





PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP 71 


She mustn’t know about it until the last minute, 
and then she’ll be so surprised, when I tell her, 
that she won’t think of objecting. Don’t let her 
know.” | | 

Tom laughed, and promised, and then the three 
began talking of the prospective trip. After a 
bit Ned Newton joined the party. 

Tom showed the two men how his new camera 
worked. He had made several improvements on 
it since the first pictures were taken, and now it 
was almost perfect. Mr. Period had been out to 
See it work, and said it was just the apparatus 
needed. 

“You can get films with that machine,” he said, 
“that will be better than any pictures ever thrown 
onascreen. My fortune will be made, Tom, and 
yours too, if you can only get pictures that are out 
of the ordinary. There will be some hair-raising 
work, I expect, but you can do it.” 

“Till try,” spoke Tom. “I have ¥ 

“Hold on! I know what you are going to 
say,” interrupted Mr. Period. “You are going to 
say that you’ve gone through some strenuous 
times already. I know you have, but you’re go- 
ing to have more soon. I think I'll send you to 
India first.” 

“To India!” exclaimed Tom, for Mr. Period 





72 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


had spoken of that as if it was but a journey 
downtown. 

“Yes, India. I want a picture of an elephant 
drive, and if you can get pictures of the big beasts 
in a stampede, so much the better. Then, too, 
the Durbar is on now, and that will make a good 
film. How soon can you start for Calcutta?” 

“Well, I’ve got to overhaul the airship,” said 
Tom. “That will take about three weeks. The 
camera is practically finished. I ‘can leave in a 
month, I guess.” 

“Good. We'll have fine weather by that time 
Are you going all the way by your airship?” 

“No, I think it will be best to take that apart 
ship it by steamer, and go that way ourselves. | 
can put the airship together in India, and then use 
it to get to any other part of Europe, Asia or 
Africa you happen to want pictures from.” 

“Good! Well, get to work now, and I'll see 
you again.” 

In the days that followed, Tom and Ned were 
kept busy. There was considerable to do on the 
airship, in the way of overhauling it. This craft 
was Tom’s largest, and was almost like the one 
in which he had gone to the caves of ice, where it 
was wrecked. It had been, however, much im- 
proved. 

The craft was a sort of combined dirigible 


y 5 2 
ne PS ee 
aS. a = — 


PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP 72 


balloon, and aeroplane, and could be used as 
either. There was a machine on board for gene- 
rating gas, to use in the balloon part of it, and the 
ship, which was named the Flyer, could carry 
several persons. 

“Bless my shoe laces!” cried Mr. Damon one 
day as he looked at Koku. “If we take him along 
in the airship, will we be able to float, Tom?” 

“Oh, yes. The airship is plenty big enough. 
Besides, we are not going to take along a very 
large party, and the camera ts not heavy. Oh, 
welll be all right. I suppose you’ll be on hand 
to-morrow, Mr. Damon?” 

“To-morrow? What for?” 

“We're going to take the picture machine up in 

the airship, and get some photos from the sky. 
I expect to make some films from high in the air, 
as well as some in the regular way, on the ground, 
and I want a little practice. Come around’ about 
two o'clock, and we'll have a trial flight.” 
“AN right. I will. But don’t let my. wife 
know I’m going up in an airship again. ‘She’s 
read of so many accidents lately, that she’s nerv- 
ous about having me take a trip.” 

“Oh, I won't tell,” promised Tom with a 
laugh, and he worked away harder than ever, 
for there were many little details to perfect. The 


74. TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


weather was now getting warm, as there was an 
early spring, and it was pleasant out of doors. 

The moving picture camera was gotten in read- 
iness. Extra rolls of films were on hand, and the 
big airship, in which they were to go up, for their 
first test of taking pictures from high in the air, 
had been wheeled out of the shed. | 

“Are you going up very far?” asked Mr. 
Nestor of Tom, and the young inventor thought 
that Mary’s father was a trifle nervous. He had 
not made many flights, and then only a little way 
above the ground, with Tom. 

“Not very high,” replied our hero. “You see 
I want to get pictures that will be large, and if 
I’m too far away I can’t do it.” 

“Glad to hear it, replied Mr. Nestor, with a 
note of relief in his voice. “Though I suppose 
to fall a thousand feet isn’t much different from 
falling a hundred when you consider the results.” 

“Not much,” admitted Tom frankly. 

“Bless my feather bed!” cried Mr. Damon, 
“Please don’t talk of falling, when we’re going up 
in an airship. It makes me nervous.” 

“We'll not fall!” declared Tom confidently. 

Mr. Period sent his regrets, that he could not 
be present at the trial, stating in his letter that he 
was the busiest man in the world, and that his 
time was worth about a dollar a minute just at 


a a a 


PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP 7% 


present. He, however, wished Tom all success. 

Tom’s first effort was to sail along, with the 
lens of the camera pointed straight toward the 
earth. He would thus get, if successful, a picture 
that, when thrown on the screen, would give the 
spectators the idea that they were looking down 
from a moving balloon. For that reason Tom 
was not going to fly very high, as he wanted to 
get all the details possible. 

“All aboard!” cried the young inventor, when 
he had seen to it that his airship was in readiness 
for a flight. The camera had been put aboard, 
and the lens pointed toward earth through a hole 
in the main cabin floor. All who were expected 
to make the trip with Tom were on hand, Koku 
taking the place of Eradicate this time, as the 
solored man was too aged and feeble to go along. 

“All ready?” asked Ned, who stood in the 
steering tower, with his hand on the starting 
Jever, while Tom was at the camera to see that it 
worked properly. 

“All ready,” answered the young inventor, 
and, an instant later, they shot upward, as the big 
“propellers whizzed around. 

Tom at once started the camera to taking pic- 
tures rapidly, as he wanted the future audience 
to get a perfect idea of how it looked to go up 
in a balloon, leaving the earth behind. Then, 


%6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


as the Flyer moved swiftly over woods and fields, 
Tom moved the lens from side to side, to get 
different views. | 

“Say! This is great!” cried Mr. Nestor, to 
whom air-riding was much of a novelty. “Are 
you getting good pictures, Tom?” 

“T can’t tell until we develope them. But the 
machine seems to be working all right. I’m goe 
ing to sail back now, and get some views of our 
own house from up above.” 

They had sailed around the town of Shopton, 
to the neighboring villages, over woods and fields. 
Now they were approaching Shopton again. 

“Bless my heart!” suddenly exclaimed Mr. 
Damon, who was looking toward the earth, as 
they neared Tom’s house. 

“What is it?” asked our hero, glancing up 
from the picture machine, the registering dial of 
which he was examining. 

“Look there! At your shop, Tom! There 
seems to be a lot of smoke coming from it!” 

They were almost over Tom’s shop now, and, 
as Mr. Damon had said, there was considerable 
smoke rolling above it. 

“IT guess Eradicate is burning up papers and 
trash,” was Ned’s opinion. 

Tom looked to where the camera pointed. He 





PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP 77 


was right over his shop now, and could see a 
detise vapor issuing from the door. 

“That isn’t Eradicate!” cried the young in- 
veutor. “My shop is on fire! T’ve got to make 
a quick drop, and save it! There are a lot of 
valuable models, and machines in there! Send 
us down, Ned, as fast as she'll go!” 


CHAPTER IX 
OFF FOR INDIA 


“Briess my hose reel!” cried Mr. Damon, as 
the airship took a quick lurch toward the earth, 
“Things are always hapening to you, Tom Swift! 
Your shop on fire! How did it happen?” 

“Look!” suddenly cried Ned, before Tom had 
a chance to answer. “There’s a man running 
away from the shop, Tom!” 

All saw him, and, as the airship rushed down- 
ward it could be seen that he was a fellow dressed 
in ragged garments, a veritable tramp. 

“T guess that fire didn’t happen,” said Tom 
significantly. “It was deliberately set. Oh, if 
we can only get there before it gains too much 
headway !” 

“T like to catch that fellow!” exclaimed Koku, 
shaking his big fist at the retreating tramp. “I 
fix him!” 

| On rushed the airship, and the man who had 

probably started the fire, glanced up at it. Tom 

suddenly turned the lens of his Wizard Camera 

toward him. The mechanism inside, which had 
78 


OFF FOR INDIA 76 


been stopped, started clicking again, as the young 
inventor switched on the electric current. 

“What are you doing?” cried Ned, as he 
guided the airship toward the shop, whence 
clouds of smoke were rolling. 

“Taking his picture,” replied Tom. “It may 
come in useful for evidence.” 

But he was not able to get many views of the 
fellow, for the latter must have suspected what 
was going on. He quickly made a dive for the 
bushes, and was soon lost to sight. Tom shut 
off his camera. | 

“Bless my life preserver!” cried Mr. Damon, 
“There comes your father, Tom, and Mrs. Bage 
gert! They’ve got buckets! They’re going to 
put out the fire!” 

“Why don’t they think to use the hose?” cried 
the young inventor, for he had his shop equipped 
with many hose lines, and an electrically driven 
pump. The hose! The hose, dad!” shouted 
Tom, but it is doubtful if his father or Mrs. 
Baggert heard him, for the engine of the air- 
ship was making much noise. However, the 
two with the buckets looked up, and waved 
their hands to those on the Flyer. 

“There’s Eradicate!” yelled Ned. “He’s got 
the hose all right!” The colored man was be- 
ginning to unreel a line. 


85 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Fhat’s what it needs!” exclaimed Torn. 
“Now there’s some chance to save the shop.” 

“We'll be there ourselves to take a hand in 
‘a few seconds!” cried Mr. Damon, forgetting to 
bless anything. 

“The scoundrel who started this fire, and 
those back of him, ought to be imprisoned for 
life!” declared Mr. Nestor. 

A moment later Ned had landed the airship 
within a short distance of the shop. In an 
instant the occupants of the craft had leaped out, 
and Tom, after a hasty glance to see that hs 
valuable camera was safe, dashed toward the 
building crying: 

“Never mind the pails, dad! Use the hose! 
‘There’s a nozzle at the back door. Go around 
there, and play the water on from that end.” 

Eradicate, with his line of hose, had disap- 
peared into the shop through the front door, 
and the others pressed in after him, heedless of 
the dense smoke. 

“Ts it blazing much, Rad?” cried Tom. 

“Can’t see no blaze at all, Massa Tom,” re- 
plied the colored man. “Dere’s a heap of suffin in 
de middle ob de flo’, an’ dat’s what’s raisin’ all 
de rumpus.” | 

They all saw it a moment later, a smouldering 
heap of rags and paper on the concrete floor of 


OFF FOR INDIA Sr 


the shop. Eradicate turned his hose on it, there 
was a hissing sound, a cloud of steam arose, and 
the fire was practically out, though much smoke 
remained. 

“Jove! that was a lucky escape!” exclaimed 
Tom, as he looked around when the vapor had 
partly cleared away. “No damage done at all, 
as far as I can see. I wonder what the game 
was? Did you see anything of a tramp around 
here?” he asked of his father. 

“No, Tom. I have been busy in the house. 
So has Mrs. Baggert. Suddenly she called my 
actention to the smoke coming from the door, 
and we ran out.” 

“TI seen it, too,” added Eradicate. “I was doin’ 
spme whitewashin’, an’ I run up as soon as I 
could.” 

“We saw the tramp all right, but he got 
away,” said Tom, and he told how he had taken 
pictures of him. “I don’t believe it would be 
much use to look for him now, though.” 

“Me look,” spoke Koku significantly, as he 
hurried off in the direction taken by the tramp. 
He came back later, not having found him. 

“What do you think of it, Tom?” asked Ned, 
when the excitement had calmed down, and the 
pile of burned rags had been removed. It was 


82 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


found that oil and chemicals had been put on 
them to cause a dense smoke. 

“T think it was the work of those fellows who 
sare after my camera,” replied the young in- 
'ventor. “They are evidently watching me, and 
when they saw us all go off in the airship they 
thought probably that the coast was clear.” 

“But why should they start a fire?” 

“I don’t know, but probably to create a lot 
of smoke, and excitement, so that they could 
search, and not be detected. Maybe the fellow 
after he found that the camera was gone, 
wanted to draw those in the -house out to the 
shop, so he could have a clear field to search in 
my room for any drawings that would give him 
a clew as to how my machine works. They 
certainly did not want to burn the shop, for that 
pile of rags could have smouldered all day on 
the concrete floor, without doing any harm. Rob- 
bery was the motive, I think.” 

“The police ought to be notified,” declared 
Mr. Nestor. “Develope those pictures, Tom, 
and I'll take the matter up with the police. May- 
be they can identify the tramp from the photo- 
graphs.” 

But this proved impossible. Tom had secured 
several good films, not only in the first views 
he took, giving the spectators the impression 


OFF FOR INDIA 83 


that they were going up in an airship, but also 
those showing the shop on fire, and the tramp 
running away, were very plain. 

The police made a search for the incendiary, 
but of course did not find him. Mr, Period 
came to Shopton, and declared it was his belief 
that his rivals, Turbot and Eckert, had had a 
hand in the matter. But it was only a suspicion, 
though Tom himself believed the same thing. 
Still nothing could be accomplished. 

“The thing to do, now that the camera works 
all right, is for you to hit the trail for India at 
once,” suggested the picture man. “They won’t 
follow you there. Get me some pictures of the 
Durbar, of elephants being captured, of tiger 
fights, anything exciting.” 

“Tl do my ” began Tom. 

“Wait, I’m not through,” interrupted thé ex- 
citable man. “Then go get some volcanoes, 
earthquakes—anything that you think would be 
interesting. ll keep in touch with you, and 
cable occasionally. Get all the films you can. 
When will you start?” 

“I can leave inside of two weeks,” replied 
Tom. 

“Then do it, and, meanwhile, be on your 
guard.” 

It was found that a few changes were needed 





84 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA | 


on the camera. And some adjustments to the 
airship. Another trial flight was made, and 
some excellent pictures taken. Then Tom and 
his friends prepared to take the airship apart, 
and pack it for shipment to Calcutta. It was 
to go on the same steamer as themselves, and 
of course the Wizard Camera would accompany 
Tom. He took along many rolls of films, enough, 
he thought, for many views. He was also to 
send back to Mr. Period from time to time, the 
exposed rolls of film, so they could be developed, 
and printed in the United States, as Tom would 
not have very good facilities for this on the a'x- 
ship, and to reproduce them there was almest 
out of the question. Still he did fit up a small 
dark room aboard the Flyer, where he could ce- 
velope pictures if he wished. | 

There was much to be done, but hard work 
accomplished it, and finally the party was ready 
to start for India. Tom said good-bye to Mary 
Nestor, of course, and her father accompanied 
our hero from the Nestor house to the Swift 
homestead, where the start was to take place. 

Eradieate bade his master a tearful good-bye, 
and there was moisture in the eyes of Mr. Swift, 
as he shook hands with his son. 

“Take care of yourself, Tom,” he said. “Don’t 
run too many risks. This moving picture takieg 


OFF FOR INDIA ! 85 


isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s more than 
just pointing your camera at things. Write if 
you get a chance, or send me a message.” 

Tom promised, and then bade farewell to Mrs. 
Baggert. All were assembled, Koku, Mr. 
Damon, who blessed everything he saw, and 
some things he did not, Ned, Mr. Nestor and 
Tom. The five were to go by train to New 
York, there to go aboard the steamer. 

Their journey to the metropolis was unevent- 
ful. Mr. Period met them at the steamship 
dock, after Tom had seen to it that the baggage, 
and the parts of the airship were safely aboard. 

“I wish I were going along!” exclaimed the 
picture man. “It’s going to be a great trip. But 
I can’t spare the time. I’m the busiest man in 
the world. I lose about a thousand dollars just 
coming down to see you off, but it’s a good in- 
vestment. I don’t mind it. Now, Tom, good 
luck, and don’t forget, I want exciting views.” 

“Vil try: ” began our hers. 

“Wait, I know what you’re going to say!” in- 
terrupted Mr. Period. “You'll do it, of course. 
Well, I must be going. I will—Great Scott!” 
and Mr. Period interrupted himself. “He has 
the nerve to come here!” 

“Who?” asked Tom. 

“Wilson Turbot, the rascal! He’s trying to 





86 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


balk me at the last minute, I believe. I’m going 
to see what he means!” and with this, the ex- 
cited Mr. Period rushed down the gangplank, 
toward the man at whom he had pointed—one 
of the men who had tried to buy Tom’s picture 
taking camera. 

A moment later the steamér’s whistle blew, 
the last belated passenger rushed up the gang- 
plank, it was drawn in, and the vessel began to 
move away from the dock. Tom and his friends 
were on their way to India, and the last glimpse 
they had of Mr. Period was as he was chasing 

along the pier, after Mr. Turbot. 





CHAPTER X 
UNEXPECTED EXCITEMENT 


“WELL, what do you know about that, Tom?” 
asked Ned, as they stood on deck watching the 
| chase. “Isn’t he the greatest ever—Mr. Period, 
I mean?” 

“He certainly is. I’d like to see what hap- 
pens when lie catches that Turbot chap.” 

“Bless my pocket handkerchief!” cried Mr. 
Damon. “I don’t believe he will. Mr. Period’s 
legs aren't long enough for fast running.” 

“Those scoundrels were after us, up to the 
last minute,” spoke Mr. Nestor, as the ship 
moved farther out from the dock. Tom and 
his friends could no longer see the excitable pic- 
ture man after his rival, but there was a commo- 
tion in the crowd, and it seemed as if he had 
caught the fellow. 

“Well, we’re free of him now,” spoke the 
young inventor, with a breath of relief. “That 
is, unless they have set some one else on our 
trail,” and he looked carefully at the passengers 
near him, to detect, if possible, any who might 
look like spies in the pay of the rival moving 

87 


88 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


picture concern, or any suspicious characters 
who might try to steal the valuable camera, that 
was now safely locked in Tom’s cabin. Our 
hero, however, saw no one to worry about. He 
resolved to remain on his guard. 

Friends and relatives were waving farewells 
to one another, and the band was playing, as the 
big vessel drew out into the North, or Hudson, 
river, and steamed for the open sea. 

Little of interest marked the first week of the 
voyage. All save Koku had done much traveling 
before, and it was no novelty to them. The 
giant, however, was amused and delighted with 
everything, even the most commonplace things he 
saw. He was a source of wonder to all the other 
passengers, and, in a way, he furnished much ex- 
citement. 

One day several of the sailors were on deck, 
shifting one of the heavy anchors. They went 
about it in their usual way, all taking hold, and 
“heaving” together with a “chanty,” or song, to 
enliven their work. But they did not make much 
progress, and one of the mates got rather ex- 
cited about it. 

“Here, shiver my timbers!” he cried. “Lively 


now! Lay about you, and get that over to the 
side!” 


UNEXPECTED EXCITEMENT 89 


“Yo! Heave! Ho!” called the leader of the 
sailor gang. 

The anchor did not move, for it had either 
caught on some projection, or the men were not 
using their strength. 

“Lively! Lively!” cried the mate. 

Suddenly Koku, who was in the crowd of 
passengers watching the work, pushed his way to 
where the anchor lay. With a powerful, but not 
rough action, he shoved the sailors aside. Then, 
stooping over, he took a firm grip of the big 
piece of iron, planted his feet well apart on the 
deck, and lifted the immense mass in his arms. 
There was a round of applause from the group 
of passengers. 

“Where you want him?” Koku calmly asked 
of the mate, as he stood holding the anchor. 

“Blast my marlin spikes!” cried the mate. “I 
never see the like of this afore! Put her over 
there, shipmate. If J had you on a voyage or 
two you'd be running the ship, instead of letting 
the screw push her along. Put her over there,” 
and he indicated where he wanted the anchor. 

Koku calmly walked along the deck, laid the 
anchor down as if it was an ordinary weight, 
and passed over to where Tom stood looking on 
in amused silence. Ther were murmurs of 
surprise from the passengers at the giant’s 


39 


90 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD C4MERA 


strength, and the sailors went forward much 
abashed. . 

“Say, I’d give a good bit to have a bodyguard 
like that,” exclaimed a well-known millionaire 
passenger, who, it was reported, was in constant 
fear of attacks, though they had never taken 
place. “I wonder if I could get him.” 

He spoke to Tom about it, but our hero would 
not listen to a proposition to part with Koku. 
Besides, it is doubtful if the simple giant would 
leave the lad who had brought him away from 
his South American home. But, if Koku was 
wonderfully strong, and, seemingly afraid of 
nothing, there were certain things he feared. 

One afternoon, for the amusement of the 
passengers, a net was put overboard, sunk to a 
considerable depth, and hauled up with a num» 
ber of fishes in it. Some of the finny specimens 
were good for eating, and others were freaks, 
strange and curious. 

Koku was in the throng that gathered on deck 
to look at the haul. Suddenly a small fish, but 
very hideous to look at, leaped from the net and 
flopped toward the giant. With a scream of 
fear Koku jumped to one side, and ran down to 
his stateroom. He could not be induced to come 
on deck until Tom assured him that the fishes 
had been disposed of. Thus Koku was a mix- 


UNEXPECTED EXCITEMENT QI 


ture of giant and baby. But he was a general 
favorite on the ship, and often gave exhibitions 
of his strength. 

Meanwhile Tom and his friends had been on 
the lookout for any one who might be trailing 
them. But they saw no suspicious characters 
among the passengers, and, gradually, they be- 
gan to feel that they had left their enemies 
behind. 

The weather was pleasant, and the voyage very 
enjoyable. Tom and the others had little to do, 
and they were getting rather impatient for the 
time to come when they could put the airship 
together, and sail off over the jungle, to get 
moving pictures of the elephants. 

“Have you any films in the camera now?” 
asked Ned of his chum on day, as they sat on 
deck together. 

“Yes, it’s all ready for instant use. Even the 
storage battery is charged. Why?” 

“Oh, I was just wondering. I was thinking 
we might somehow see something we could take 
pictures of.” 

“Not much out here,” said Tom, as he looked 
across the watery expanse. As he did so, he saw 
a haze of smoke dead ahead. “We'll pass a 
steamer soon,” he went on, “but that wouldn’t 
make a good picture. It’s too common.” 


92 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


As the two lads watched, the smoke became 
blacker, and the cloud it formed grew much 
larger. 

“They’re burning a lot of coal on that ship,” 
remarked Ned. “Must be trying for a speed 
record.” 

A little later a sailor stationed himself in the 
crow’s nest, and focused a telescope on the smoke, 
An officer, on deck, seemed to be waiting for a 
report from the man aloft. 

“That’s rather odd,” remarked Ned. “I never 
knew them to take so much interest in a pass- 
ing steamer before; and we've gone by several of 
late.” 

“That’s right,” agreed Tom. “I wonder 7 

At that moment the officer, looking up, called 
out: 

“Main top!” 

“Aye, aye, sir,” answered the sailor with the 
glass. “She’s a small steamer, sir, and she’s on 
fire!” 

“That’s what I feared. Come down. I'll tell 
the captain. We must crowd on all steam, and. 
go to the rescue.” 

“Did you hear that?” cried Ned to Tom, as 
the officer hurried to the bridge, where the cap» 
tain awaited him. “A steamer on fire at sea, 
Tom! why don’t you i 





’ 





UNEXPECTED EXCITEMENT 93 


I’m going to!” interrupted the young inventor, 
as he started for his cabin on the run. “I’m 
going to get some moving pictures of the rescue! 
That will be a film worth having.” 

A moment later the Belchar, the vessel on 
which our friends had embarked, increased her 
speed, while sudden excitement developed on 
board. 

As the Belchar approached the burning 
steamer, which had evidently seen her, and was 
making all speed toward her, the cloud of smoke 
became more dense, and a dull flame could be 
seen reflected in the water. 

“She’s going fast!” cried Mr. Nestor, as he 
joined Ned on deck. 

“Bless my insurance policy!” cried Mr. Damon. 
“What a strange happening! Where’s Tom 
Swift?” 

“Gone for his camera,” answered his chum. 
“He’s going to get some pictures of the rescue.” 

“All hands man the life boats!” cried an ofh- 
cer, and several sailors sprang to the davits, 
ready to lower the boats, when the steamers 
should be near enough together. 

Up on deck came Tom, with his wonderful 
camera. 

“Here you go, Ned!” he called. “Give me a 
hand. I’m going to start the film now.” 


i 


3 


CHAPTER (Xi 
AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE 


“LOWER away!” 

“Stand by the life boats!” 

“Let go! Pull hearty!” 

These and other commands marked the be- 
ginning of the rescue, as the sailors manned the 
davit-falls, and put the boats into the water. 
The burning steamer had now come to a stop, 
not far away from the Belchar, which was also 
lay-to. There was scarcely any sea running, and 
no wind, so that the work of rescuing was not 
difficult from an ordinary standpoint. But theré 
was grave danger, because the fire on the doomed 
vessel was gaining rapidly. 

“That’s oil burning,” remarked an officer, and 
it seemed so, from the dense clouds of smoke 
that rolled upward. 

“Is she working, Tom?” asked Ned, as he 
helped his chum to hold the wonderful camera 
steady on the rail, so that a good view of the 
burning steamer could be had. 

94 


AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE 95 


“Ves, the film is running. Say, I wonder if 
they'll get ’em all off?” 

“Oh, I think so. There aren’t many passen- 
gers. I guess it’s a tramp freighter.” 

They could look across the gap of water, and 
see the terrified passengers and crew crowding 
to the rail, holding out their hands appealingly 
to the brave sailors who were lustily and rapid- 
ly, pulling toward them in life boats. 

At times a swirl of smoke would hide those 
on the doomed vessel from the sight of the pas- 
sengers on the Belchar, and on such occasions 
the frightened screams of women could be heard. 
Once, as the smoke cleared away, a woman, with 
a child in her arms, giving a backward glance 
toward the flames that were now enveloping the 
stern of the vessel, attempted to leap overboard. 

Many hands caught her, however, and all this 
was registered on the film of Tom’s camera, 
which was working automatically. As the twce 
vessels drifted along, Tom and Ned shifted the 
lens so as to keep the burning steamer, and the 
approaching lifeboats, in focus. 

“There’s the first rescue!” cried Ned, as the 
woman who had attempted to leap overboard, 
was, with her child, carefully lowered into a 
boat. “Did you get that, Tom?” 

“T certainly did. This will make a good pic- 


96 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


ture. I think Pll send it back to Mr. Period as 
soon as we reach port.” 

“Maybe you could develop it on board here, 
and show it. I understand there’s a dark roosn, 
and the captain said one of his officers, who used 
to be in the moving picture business, had a re- 
producing machine.” 

“Then that’s what I'll do!” cried Tom. “Til 
have our captain charge all the Belchar passens 
gers admission, and we'll get up a fund for the 
fire sufferers. ‘They’ll probably lose all their 
baggage.” 

“That will be great!” exclaimed Ned. 

The rescue was now in full swing, and, in a 
short time all the passengers and crew had been 
transferred to the life boats. Tom got a good 
picture of the captain of the burning steamer 
being the last to leave his vessel. Then the ap- 
proaching life boats, with their loads of sailors, 
and rescued ones, were caught on the films. 

“Are you all off?” cried the captain of the 
Belchar to the unfortunate skipper of the doomed 
ship. 

“All off, yes, thank you. It is a mercy you 
were at hand. I have a cargo of oil. You 
had better stand off, for she'll explode in a few 
minutes.” 

“I must get a picture of that!” declared Tom, 


AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE 97 


as the Belchar got under way again. “That will 
cap the climax, and make a film that will be hard 
to beat.” 

A few moments later there was a tremendous 
explosion on the tramp oiler. A column of 
wreckage and black smoke shot skyward, and 
Tom secured a fine view of it. Then the wreck 
disappeared beneath the waves, while the rescu- 
ing steamer sailed on, with those who had been 
savéd. They had brought off only the things 
they wore, for the fire had occurred suddenly, 
and spread rapidly. Kind persons aboard the 
Belchar looked after the unfortunates. Luckily 
tliere was not a large passenger list on the tramp. 
Amd the crew was comparatively small, so it was 
not hard work to make room for them, or take 
care of them, aboard the Belchar. 

Tiom developed his pictures, and produced 
them in one of the large saloons, on a machine 
he borrowed from the man of whom Ned had 
spoken. A dollar admission was charged, and 
the crowd was so large that Tom had to give 
two performances. The films, showing the burn- 
img steamer and the rescue, were excellent, and 
enough money was realized to aid, most sub- 
stantially, the unfortunate passengers and crew. 

A few days later a New York bound steamer 
was spoken, and on it Tom sent the roll of de- 


98 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


veloped films to Mr. Period, with a letter of ex- 
planation. 

I will not give all the details of the rest of 
the voyage. Sufficient to say that no accidents 
marred it, nor did Tom discover any suspicious 
characters aboard. In due time our friends 
arrived at Calcutta, and were met by an agent of 
Mr. Period, for he had men in all quarters of the 
world, making films for him. 

This agent took Tom and his party to a hotel, 
and arranged to have the airship parts sent to 4 
large open shed, not far away, where it could be 
put together. The wonderful scenes in the Indian 
city interested Tom and his companions for @ 
time, but they had observed so many strange 
sights from time to time that they did not mar- 
vel greatly. Koku, however, was much delighted, 
He was like a child. 

“What are you going to do first?” asked Ned, 
when they had recovered from the fatigue of the 
ocean voyage and had settled themselves in the 
hotel. 

“Put the airship together,” replied our hero, 
“and then, after getting some Durbar pictures, 
we'll head for the jungle. I want to get some 
elephant pictures, showing the big beasts being 
captured.” 

Mr. Period’s agent was a great help to them 


AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE 99 


in this. He secured native helpers, who aided 
Tom in assembling the airship, and in a week or 
two it was ready for a flight. The wonderful 
camera, too, was looked over, and the picture, 
agent said he had never seen a better one. 

“Tt can take the kind of pictures I never could,” 
he said. “I get Calcutta street scenes for Mr. 
Period, and occasionally I strike a good one. But 
I wish I had your chance.” 

Tom invited him to come along in the airship, 
but the agent, who only looked after Mr. Period’s 
interests as a side issue, could not leave his work. 

The airship was ready for a flight, stores and 
provisions had been put on board, there was 
enough gasoline for the motor, and gas for the 
balloon bag, to carry the Flyer thousands of 
miles. The moving picture camera had been tested 
after the sea voyage, and had been found to work 
perfectly. Many rolls of films were taken along. 
‘Tom got some fine views of the Durbar of India, 
and his airship created a great sensation. 

“Now I guess we're all ready for the ele- 
phants,” said Tom one day as he came back from 
an inspection of the airship as it rested in the big 
shed. “We’ll start to-morrow morning, and head 
for the jungle.” 

Amid the cries from a throng of wondering 
and awed natives, and with the farewells of Mr. 


100 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


Period’s agent ringing in their ears, Tom and his 
party made an early start. The Flyer rose like 
a bird, and shot across the city, while on the house 
tops many people watches the strange sight. Tom 
did not start his camera working, as Mr. Period’s 
agent said he had made many pictures of the 
Indian city, and even one taken from an airship, 
would not be much of a novelty. 

Tom had made inquiries, and learned that by 
a day’s travel in his airship (though it would 
have been much longer ordinarily) he could reach 
a jungle where elephants might be found. Of 
course there was nothing certain about it, as the 
big animals roamed all over, being in one district 
one day, and on the next, many miles off. 

Gradually the city was left behind, and some 
time later the airship was sailing along over the 
jungle. After the start, when Ned and Tom, 
with Mr. Damon helping occasionally, had gotten 
the machinery into proper adjustment, the Flyer 
almost ran herself. Then Tom took his station 
forward, with his camera in readiness, and a 
powerful spyglass at hand, so that he might see 
the elephants from a distance. 

He had been told that, somewhere in the dis- 
trict for which he was headed, an elephant drive 
was contemplated. He hoped to be on hand te 


AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE cep 


get pictures of it, and so sent his airship ahead at 
top speed. 

On and on they rode, being as much at ease in 
the air as they would have been if traveling in a 
parlor car. They did not fly high, as it was neces- 
sary to be fairly close to the earth to get good 
pictures. 

“Well, I guess we won't have any luck to-day,” 
remarked Ned, as night approached, and they had 
had no sight of the elephants. They had gone 
over mile after mile of jungle, but had seen few 
wild beasts in sufficient numbers to make it worth 
while to focus the camera on them. 

“We'll float along to-night,” decided Tom, 
“and try again in the morning.” 

It was about ten o’clock the next day, when 
Ned, who had relieved Tom on watch, uttered a 
cry: 

“What is it?” asked his chum, as he rushed 
forward. “Has anything happened?” 

“Lots!” cried Ned. “Look!” He pointed down 
below. Tom saw, crashing through the jungle, 
a big herd of elephants. Behind them, almost 
surrounding them, in fact, was a crowd of natives 
in charge of white hunters, who were driving 
the herd toward a stockade. 

“There’s a chance for a grand picture!” ex- 
claimed Tom, as he got the camera ready. “Take 


{” 


102 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


charge of the ship, Ned. Keep her right over the 
big animals, and I’ll work the camera.” 

Quickly he focused the lens on the strange 
scene below him. There was a riot of trumpet- 
ing from the elephants. The beaters and hunters’ 
shouted and yelled. Then they saw the airship 
and waved their hands to Tom and his friends, 
but whether to welcome them, or warn them 
away, could not be told. 

The elephants were slowly advancing toward 
the stockade. Tom was taking picture after pic- 
ture of them, when suddenly as the airship came 
lower, in response to a signal to Ned from the 
young inventor, one of the huge pachyderms 
looked up, and saw the strange sight. He might 
have taken it for an immense bird. At any rate 
he gave a trumpet of alarm, and the next minute, 
with screams of rage and fear, the elephants 
turned, and charged in a wild stampede on those 
who were driving them toward the stockade. 

“Look!” cried Ned. “Those hunters and na- 
tives will be killed!” 

“l’m afraid so!” shouted Tom, as he con, 
tinued to focus his camera on the wonderful 
sight. 


CHAPTER XII 
THE LION FIGHT 


CraSHING through the jungle the huge beasts 
turned against those who had been driving them 
on toward the stockade. With wild shouts and 
yells, the hunters and their native helpers tried 
to turn back the elephant tide, but it was useless. 
The animals had been frightened by the airship, 
and were following their leader, a big bull, that 
went crashing against great trees, snapping them 
off as if they were pipe stems. 

“Say, this is something like!” cried Ned, as 
he guided the airship over the closely packed body 
of elephants, so Tom could get good pictures, 
for the herd had divided, and a small number 
fad gone off with one of the other bulls. 

“Ves, I’ll get some great pictures,” agreed 
Tom, as he looked in through a red covered open- 
ing in the camera, to see how much film was left. 

The airship was now so low down that Tom, 
and the others, could easily make out the faces 


ef the hunters, and the native helpers. One of 
103 


104. TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


the hunters, evidently the chief, shaking his fist 
at our hero, cried: if 

“Can’t you take your blooming ship out of the 
way, my man? It’s scaring the beasts, and we’ve 
been a couple of weeks on this drive. We don't 
want to lose all our work. Take your bloody 
ship away!” 

“T guess he must be an Englishman,” re- 
marked Mr. Nestor, with a laugh. 

“Bless my dictionary, I should say so,” agreed 
Mr. Damon. “Bloody, blooming ship! The 
idea!” 

“Well, I suppose we have scared the beasts,” 
said Tom. “We ought to get out of the way. 
Put her up, Ned, and we'll come down some dis- 
tance in advance.” 

“Why, aren’t you going to take any more 
views of the elephants?” 

“Yes, but I’ve got enough of a view from 
above. Besides, I’ve got to put in a fresh reel 
of film, and I might as well get out of their sight 
to do it. Maybe that will quiet them, and the 
hunters can turn them back toward the stockade 
If they do, I have another plan.” 

“What is it?” his chum wanted to know. 

“Tm going to make a landing, set up my 
camera at the entrance to the stockade, and get 


THE LION FIGHT 108 


a series of pictures as the animals come in. I 
think that will be a novelty.” 

“That certainly will.” azreed Mr. Nestor. “I 
am sure Mr. Period will appreciate that. But 
won't it be dangerous, Tom?” 

“T suppose so, but I’m getting used to danger,” 
replied our hero, with a laugh. 

Ned put the ship high into the air, as Tom shut 
off the power from the camera. Then the Flyer 
was sent well on in advance of the stampede of 
elephants, so they could no longer see it, or hear 
the throb of the powerful engines. Tom hoped 
that this would serve to quiet the immense 
creatures. 

As the travelers flew on, over the jungle, they 
could still hear the racket made by the hunters 
and beaters, and the shrill trumpeting of the ele- 
phants, as they crashed through the forest. 

Tom at once began changing the film in the 
camera, and Ned altered the course of the air- 
ship, to send it back toward the stockade, which 
they had passed just before coming upon the 
herd of elephants. 

I presume most of my readers know what an 
elephant drive is like. A stockade, consisting of 
heavy trees, is made in the jungle. It is like the 
old fashioned forts our forefathers used to make, 
for a defense against the Indians. There is a 


% 


106 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


broad entrance to it, and, when all is in readiness, 
the beaters go out into the jungle, with the white 
hunters, to round up the elephants. A number 
of tame pachyderms are taken along to pursuade 
the wild ones to follow. 

Gradually the elephants are gathered together 
in a large body, and gently driven toward the 
stockade. The tame elephants go in first, and the 
others follow. Then the entrance is closed, and 
all that remains to be done is to tame the wild 
beasts, a no very easy task. 

“Are you all ready?” asked Ned, after a bit, as 
he saw Tom come forward with the camera. 

“Yes, I’m loaded for some more excitement. 
You can put me right over the stockade now, 
Ned, and when we see the herd coming back I'll 
go down, and take some views from the ground.” 

“TI think they’ve got ’em turned,” said Mr. 
Damon. “It sounds as if they were coming back 
this way.” 

A moment later they had a glimpse of the herd 
down below. It was true that the hunters had 
succeeded in stopping the stampede, and once 
more the huge beasts were going in the right 
direction. 

“There’s a good place to make a landing,” sug- 
gested Tom, as he saw a comparatively clear 
place in the jungle. “It’s near the stockade, and, 


THE LION FIGHT 107 


in case of danger, I can make a quick get-away.” 

“What kind of danger are you looking for?” 
asked Ned, as he shifted the deflecting rudder. 

“Oh, one of the beasts might take a notion to 
ehase me.” 

The landing was made, and Tom, taking Ned 
and Mr. Nestor with him, and leaving the others 
to manage the airship in case a quick flight would 
be necessary, made his way along a jungle trail 
to the entrance to the stockade. He carried his 
camera with kim, for it was not heavy. 

On came the elephants, frightened by the 
shouts and cries of the beaters, and the firing of 
guns. The young inventor took his place near 
the stockade entrance, and, as the elephants ad- 
vanced through the forest, tearing up trees and 
bushes, Tom got some good pictures of them. 

Suddenly the advance of the brutes was 
checked, and the foremost of them raised their 
trunks, trumpeted in anger, and were about to 
turn back again. 

“Get away from that bloomin’ gate!” shouted 
a hunter to Tom. “You’re scaring them as bad 
as your airship did.” 

“Yes, they won’t go in with you there!” added 
another man. 

Tom slipped around the corner of the stockade, 
out of sight, and from that vantage point he took 


108 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


scores of pictures, as the tame animals led the 
wild ones into the fenced enclosure. Then be- 
gan another wild scene as the gate was closed. 

The terrified animals rushed about, trying in 
vain to find a way of escape. Tom managed to 
climb up on top of the logs, and got some splen- 
did pictures. But this was nearly his undoing. 
For, just as the last elephant rushed in, a big 
bull charged against the stockade, and jarred 
Tom so that he was on the point of falling. His 
one thought was about his camera, and he looked 
to see if he could drop it on the soft grass, so it 
would not be damaged. 

He saw Koku standing below him, the giant 
having slipped out of the airship, to see the beasts 
at closer range. 

“Catch this, Koku!” cried Tom, tossing the 
big man his precious -camera, and the giant 
caught it safely. But Tom’s troubles were not 
over. A moment later, as the huge elephant 
again rammed the fence, Tom fell off, but for- 
tunately outside. Then the large beast, seeing a 
small opening in the gate that was not yet entirely 
closed, made for it. A moment later he was 
rushing straight at Tom, who was somewhat 
stunned by his fall, though it was not a severe 
one. | 

“Look out!” yelled Ned. 


THE LION FIGHT 109 


“Take a tree, Tom!” cried Mr. Nestor. 

The elephant paid no attention to any one but 
Tom, whom he semed to think had caused all his 
trouble. The young inventor dashed to one side, 
and then started to run toward the airship, for: 
which Ned and Mr. Nestor were already mak- 
ing. The elephant hunters at last succeeded in 
closing the gate, blocking the chance of any more 
animals to escape. 

“Run, Tom! Run!” yelled Ned, and Tom ran 
as he had never run before. The elephant was 
close after him though, crashing through the 
jungle. Tom could see the airship just ahead of 
him. : 

Suddenly he felt something grasp him from 
behind. He thought surely it was the elephant’s 
trunk, but a quick glance over his shoulder 
showed him the friendly face of Koku, the giant. 

“Me run for you,” said Koku, as he caught 
Tom up under one arm, and, carrying the camera 
under the other, he set off at top speed. Now 
Koku could run well at times, and this time he 
did. He easily outdistanced the elephant, and, a 
little later, he set Tom down on the deck of the 
airship, with the camera beside him. Then Ned 
and Mr. Nestor came up panting, having run to 
one side. 


| | / 
110 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Quick!” cried Tom. “We must get away be- 
fore the elephant charges the Flyer.” 

“He has stopped,” shouted Mr. Nestor, and it 
was indeed so. The big beast, seeing again the 
strange craft that had frightened him before, 
stood still for a moment, and then plunged off 
into the jungle, trumpeting with rage. 

“Safe!” gasped Tom, as he looked at his 
camera to see if it had been damaged. It seemed 
all right. 

“Bless my latch key!” cried Mr. Damon. “This 
moving picture business isn’t the most peaceful 
one in the world.” 

“No, it has plenty of perils,” agreed Mr. 
Nestor. 3 

“Come on, let’s get out of here while we have 
the chance,” suggested Tom. “There may bé an- 
other herd upon us before we know it.” 

The airship was soon ascending, and Tom and 
his companions could look down and see the tame 
elephants in the stockade trying to calm the wild 
ones. Then the scene faded from sight. 

“Well, if these pictures come out all right I'll 
have some fine ones,” exclaimed Tom as he car~ 
ried his camera to the room where he kept the 
films. “I fancy an elephant drive and stampede 
are novelties in this line.” 

“Indeed they are,” agreed Mr. Nestor. “Mr. 


THE LION FIGHT 111 


Period made no mistake when he picked you out, 
Tom, for this work. What are you going to try 
for next?” 

“Td like to get some lion and tiger pictures,” 
said the young inventor. “I understand this is a 
good district for that. As soon as those elephants 
get quieted down, I’m going back to the stockade 
anc have a talk with the hunters.” 

This he did, circling about in the airship until 
nearly evening. When they again approached the 
stockade all was quiet, and they came to earth. A 
native showed them where the white hunters had 
their headquarters, in some bungalows, and Tom 
and his party were made welcome. They apolo- 
gized for frightening the big beasts, and the 
hunters accepted their excuses. 

“As long as we got ’em, it’s all right,” said the 
head man, “though for awhile, I didn’t like your 
bloomin’ machine.” ‘Tom entertained the hunters 
aboard his craft, at which they marvelled much, 
and they gave him all the information they had 
about the lions and tigers in the vicinity. 

“You won't find lions and tigers in herds, like 
elephants though,” said the head hunter. “And 
you may have to photograph ’em at night, as 
then is when they come out to hunt, and drink.” 

“Well, I can take pictures at night,” said Tom, 
as he showed his camera apparatus. 


-q12 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


The next day, in the airship, they left for an- 
other district, where, so the natives reported, 
several lions had been seen of late. They had 
done much damage, too, carrying off the native 
cattle, and killing several Indians. 

For nearly a week Tom circled about in his air- 
ship, keeping a sharp lookout down below for a 
sign of lions that he might photograph them. But 
he saw none, though he did get some pictures of 
a herd of Indian deer that were well worth his 
trouble. 

“I think Vl have to try for a night photo- 
graph,” decided Tom at last. - “T’ll locate a spring 
where wild beasts are in the habit of coming, set 
the camera with the light going, and leave it 
there.” ) : 

“But will the lions come up if they see the 
light?” asked Ned. 

“T think so,” replied his chum. “I'll take a 
chance, anyhow. If that doesn’t work then I'll 
hide near by, and see what happens.” 

“Bless my cartridge belt!” cried Mr. Damon. 
“You don’t mean that; do you Tom?” 

“Of course. Come to think of it, I’m not go 
ing to leave my camera out there for a lion to 
jump on, and break. As soon as I get a Series 
of pictures I'll bring it back to the ship, I think.” 

Ry inquiry among the natives they learned the 


setiile LION FIGHT 113 


location of a spring where, it was said, lions were , 
in the habit of coming nightly to drink. 

“That’s the place I want!” cried Tom. 

Accordingly the airship was headed for it, and 
one evening it came gently to earth in a little 
clearing on the edge of the jungle, while Koku, 
as was his habit, got supper. 

After the meal-Tom and Ned set the camera, 
and then, picking out a good spot nearby, they 
hid themselves to wait for what might happen. 
The lens was focused on the spring, and the 
powerful electric light set going. It glowed 
brightly, and our hero thought it might have the 
effect of keeping the beasts away, but Tom fig- 
ured that, after they had looked at it for a while, 
and seen that it did not harm them, they would 
lose their suspicions, and come within range of 
his machine. 

“The camera will do the rest,” he said. In 
order not to waste films uselessly Tom arranged 
a long electric wire, running it from the camera 
to where he and Ned were hid. By pressing a 
button he could start or stop the camera any time 
he wished, and, as he had a view of the spring 
from his vantage point, he could have the ap- 
paratus begin taking pictures as soon as there was 
some animal within focus. 

“Well, I'm getting stiff,” said Ned, after an 


114. TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


. hour or so had passed in silent darkness, the only } 
light being the distarit one on the camera. 

“So am I,” said Tom. 

“T don’t believe anything will come to-night,” 
went on his chum. “Let’s go back and 

He stopped suddenly, for there was a crackling 
in the underbrush, and the next moment the 
jungle vibrated to the mighty roar of a lion. 

“He’s coming!” hoarsely whispered Tom. 

Both lads glanced through the trees toward 
the camera, and, in the light, they saw a mag- 
nificent, tawny beast standing on the edge of the 
spring. Once more he roared, as if in defiance, 
and then, as if deciding that the light was. not 
harmful, he stooped to lap up the water 

Hardly had he done so than there was another 
roar, and a moment later a second lion leaped 
from the dense jungle into the clearing about tlie 
spring. The two monarchs of the forest stood 
there in the glare of the light, and Tom excitedly 
pressed the button that started the shutter to 
working, and the film to moving back of the 
lens. 

There was a slight clicking sound in the 
camera, and the lions turned startedly. Then 
both growled again, and thé next instant they 
sprang at each other, roaring mightily. 

“A fight!” cried Tom. “A lion fight, and right 





THE LION FIGHT 11s 


in front of my camera! It couldn’t be better. 
This is great! This wil] be a film.” 

“Quiet!” begged Ned. “They'll hear you, and . 
come for us. I don’t want to be chewed up!” 

“No danger of them hearing me!” cried Tom. 
and he had to shout to be heard above the roar- 
ing of the two tawny beasts, as they bit and 
clawed each other, while the camera took picture 
after picture of them. 


, 


CHAPTER “AE 
A SHOT IN TIME 


“Tom, did you ever see anything like it in 
your lifer” 

“T never did, Ned! It’s wonderful! fearful! 
And to think that we are here watching it, and 
that thousands of people will see the same thing 
thrown on a screen. Oh, look at the big one. 
The small lion has him down!” 

The two lads, much thrilled, crouched down 
behind a screen of bushes, watching the midnight 
fight between the lions. On the airship, not far 
distant, there was no little alarm, for those left 
behind heard the terrific roars, and feared Tom 
and Ned might be in some danger. But the lions 
were too much occupied with their battle, to pay 
any attention to anything else, and no other wild 
beasts were likely to come to the spring while the 
two “kings” were at each other. 

It was a magnificent, but terrible battle. The 
big cats bit and tore at each other, using their 


terrific claws and their powerful paws, one stroke 
116 


A SHOT IN TIME 117 


of which is said to be sufficient to break a 
bullock’s back. Sometimes they would roll out 
of the focus of the camera, and, at such times, 
Tom wished he was at the machine to swing the 
lens around, but he knew it would be dangerous 
to move. Then the beasts would roll back into 
the rays of light again, and more pictures of them 
would be taken. 

“I guess the small one is going to win!” said 
Tom, after the two lions had fought for ten 
minutes, and the bigger one had been down sev- 
eral times. 

“He’s younger,” agreed Ned, “and I guess the. 
other one has had his share of fights. Maybe 
this is a battle to see which one is to rule this 
part of the jungle.” 

“I guess so,” spoke the young inventor, as he 
pressed the button to stop the camera, as the lions 
rolled out of focus. “Oh, look!” he cried a mo- 
ment later, as the animals again rolled into view. 
Tom started the camera once more. “This is near 
the end,” he said. 

The small lion had, by a sudden spring, landed 
on the back of his rival. There was a terrific 
struggle, and the older beast went down, the 
younger one clawing him terribly. Then, so quick- 
ly did it happen that the boys could not take in all 
the details, the older lion rolled over and over, 


118 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


and rid himself of his antagonist. Quickly he 
got to his feet, while the smaller lion did the 
same. They stood for a moment eyeing each 
other, their tails twitching, the hair on their backs 
bristling, and all the while they uttered frightful 
roars. | 

An instant later the larger beast sprang toward 
his rival. One terrible paw was upraised. The 
small lion tried to dodge, but was not quick 
enough. Down came the paw with terrific force, 
and the boys could hear the back bone snap. Then, 
clawing his antagonist terribly, as he lay disabled, 
the older lion, with a roar of triumph, lapped up 
water, and sprang off through the jungle, leaving 
his dying rival beside the spring. 

“That’s the end,” cried Tom, as the small lion 
died, and the young inventor pressed the button 
stopping his camera. There was a rustle in the 
leaves back of Tom and Ned, and they sprang up 
in alarm, but they need not have feared, for it 
was only Koku, the giant, who, with a portable 
electrical torch, had come to see how they had 
fared. 

“Mr. Tom all right?” asked the big man, 
anxiously. 

“Yes, and I got some fine pictures. You can 
carry the camera back now, Koku. I think that 
roll of film is pretty well filled.” 


A SHOT IN TIME 11g 


The three of them looked at the body of the 
dead lion, before they went back to the airship. 
I have called him “small,” but, in reality, the 
beast was small only in comparison with his rival, 
who was a tremendous lion in size. I might add 
that of all the pictures Tom took, few were more 
highly prized than that reel of the lion fight. 

“Bless my bear cage!” cried Mr. Damon, as 
Tom came back, “you certainly have nerve, my 
boy.” 

“You have to, in this business,” agreed Tom 
with a laugh. “I never did this before, and I 
don’t know that I would want it for a steady 
position, but it’s exciting for a change.” 

They remained near the “lion spring” as they 
called it all night, and in the morning, after Koku 
had served a tasty breakfast, Tom headed the 
airship for a district where it was. said there 
were many antelope, and buffaloes, also zebus. 

“T don’t want to get al] exciting pictures,” 
our hero said to Mr. Nestor. “I think that films 
showing wild animals at play, or quietly feed- 
ing, will be good.” 

“I’m sure they will,” said Mary’s father. “Get 
some peaceful scenes, by ail means.” 

They sailed on for several days, taking a num- 
ber of pictures from the airship, when they 
passed over a part of the country where the view 


bs 


120 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


was magnificent, and finally, stopping at a good 
sized village they learned that, about ten miles 
out, was a district where antelope abounded. 

“We'll go there,” decided Tom, “and I'll take 
the camera around with me on a sort of walking 
trip. In that way Ill get a variety of views, and 
I can make a good film.” 

This plan was followed out. The airship 
came to rest in a beautiful green valley, and Ned 
and Tom, with Mr. Damon, who begged to be 
taken along, started off. 

“You can follow me in about half an hour, 
Koku,” said Tom, “and carry the camera back. I 
guess you can easily pick up our trail.” 

“Oh, sure,” replied the giant. Indeed, to one 
who had lived in the forest, as he had all his life, 
before Tom found him, it was no difficult matter 
to follow a trail, such as the three friends would 
leave. 3 

Tom found signs that showed him where the 
antelopes were in the habit of passing, and, with 
Ned and Mr. Damon, stationed himself in a se- 
cluded spot. 

He had not long to wait before a herd of deer 
came past. Tom took many pictures of the grace- 
ful creatures, for it was daylight now, and he 
needed no light. Consequently there was noth- 
ing to alarm the herd. 


A SHOT IN TIME I2I 


After having made several films of the ante- 
lope, Tom and his two companions went farther 
on. They were fortunate enough to find a place 
that seemed to be a regular playground of the 
deer. There was a large herd there, and, getting 
as near as he dared, Tom focused his camera, 
and began taking pictures. 

“It’s as good as a play,” whispered Mr. Damon, 
as he and Ned watched the creatures, for they 
had to speak quietly. The camera made scarcely 
any noise. “I’m glad I came on this trip.” 

“So am I,” said Ned. “Look, Tom, see the 
mother deer all together, and the fawns near 
them. It’s just as if it was a kindergarten 
meeting.” 

“T see,” whispered Tom. “I’m getting a pic- 
ture of that.” 

For some little time longer Tom photographed 
the deer, and then, suddenly, the timid creatures 
all at once lifted up their heads, and darted off. 
Tom and Ned, wondering what had startled them, 
looked across the glade just in time to see a big 
tiger leap out of the tall grass. The striped 
animal had been stalking the antelope, but they 
had scented him just in time. 

“Get him, Tom,” urged Ned, and the young 
inventor did. so, securing several fine views be- 


, 


q22 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


fore the tiger bounded into the grass again, and 
took after his prey. 

“Bless my china teacup! What’s that!” sud 
denly cried Mr. Damon. As he spoke there wag 
a crashing in the bushes and, an instant later 2 
two-horned rhinoceros sprang into view, charg- 
ing straight for the group. 

“Look out!” yelled Ned. 

“Bless my. ” began Mr. Damon, but he did 
not finish, for, in starting to run his foot caught 
in the grass, and he went down heavily. 

Tom leaped to one side, holding his camera sa 
‘as not to damage it. But he stumbled over Mr. 
Damon, and went down. 

With a “wuff” of rage the clumsy beast, came 
on, moving more rapidly than Tom had any idea 
he was capable of. Hampered by his camera our 
‘hero could not arise. The rhinoceros was almost 
upon him, and Ned, catching up a club, was just 
going to make a rush to the rescue, when the brute 
seemed suddenly to crumple up. It fell down in 
a heap, not five feet from where Tom and Mr, 
Damon lay. 

“Good!” cried Ned. “He’s dead. Shot through 
the heart! Who did it?” 

“I did,” answered Koku quietly, stepping out 
of the bushes, with one of Tom’s Swift’s electric 
rifles in his hand. 


1» 





CHAPTER XIV 
IN A GREAT GALE 


Tom Swirt rose slowly to his feet, carefully 
setting his camera down, after making sure that | 
it was not injured. Then he looked at the huge 
beast which lay dead in front of him, and, going 
over to the giant he held out his hand to him. 

“Koku, you saved my life,” spoke Tom. “Prob- . 
ably the life of Mr. Damon also. I can’t begin 
to thank you. It isn’t the first time you’ve done 
it, either. But I want to say that you can have 
anything you want, that I’ve got.” 

“Me like this gun pretty much,” said the giant 
simply. 

“Then it’s yours!” exclaimed Tom. “And 
you're the only one, except myself, who has ever 
owned one.” ‘Tom’s wonderful electric rifle, of 
which I have told you in the book bearing that 
fame, was one of his most cherished inventions. 

He guarded jealously the secret of how it 
worked, and never sold or gave one away, for fear 
that unscrupulous men might learn how to make 
them, and so cause fearful havoc. For the rifle 

123 


124 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


was a terrible weapon. Koku seemed to appre- 
ciate the honor done him, as he handled the gun, 
and looked from it to the dead rhinoceros. 

“Bless my blank cartridge!” exclaimed Mr. 
Damon, as he also got up and came to examine! 
the dead beast. It was the first thing he had said 
since the animal had rushed at him, and he had 
not moved after he fell down. He had seemingly 
been in a daze, but when the others heard him 
use one of his favorite expressions they knew that 
he was all right again. “Bless my hat!” went 
on the odd man. “What happened, Tome Is 
that beast really dead? How did Koku come to 
arrive in time?” 

“T guess he’s dead all right,” said Tom, giving 
the rhinoceros a kick. “But I don’t know how 
Koku happened to arrive in the nick of time, and 
' with the gun, too.” 

“T think maybe I see something to shoot when 
IT come after you, like you tell me to do,” spoke 
the giant. “I follow your trail, but I see nothing 
to shoot until I come here. Then I see that ani- 
mal run for you, and I shoot.” 

“And a good thing you did, too,” put in Ned. 
“Well let’s go back. My nerves are on edge, and 
I want to sit quiet for a while.” 

“Take the camera, Koku,” ordered Tom, “and 
fli carry the electric rifle—your rifle, now,” he 


IN A GREAT GALE 125 


added, and the giant grinned in delight. They 
reached the airship without further incident, and, 
after a cup of tea, Tom took out the exposed 
films and put a fresh roll in his camera, ready for 
whatever new might happen. 

“Where is your next stopping place, Tom?” 
asked Ned, as they sat in the main room of the 
airship that evening, talking over the events of 
the day. They had decided to stay all night an- 
chored on the ground, and start off in the morn- 
ing. 

“T hardly know, answered the young inventor. 
“T am going to set the camera to-night, near a 
small spring I saw, to get some pictures of deer 
coming to drink. I may get a picture of a lion 
or a tiger attacking them. If I could it would 
be another fine film. To-morrow I think we will 
start for Switzerland. But now I’m going to 
get the camera ready for a night exposure.” 

“Bless my check book!” cried Mr. Damon. 
“You don’t mean to say that you are going to 
stay out at a spring again, Tom, and run the 
chance of a tiger getting you.” 

“No, I’m merely going to set the camera, at- 
tach the light and let it work automatically this 
time. I’ve put in an extra long roll of film, for 
I’m going to keep it going for a long while, 
and part of the time there may be no animals 


126 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


there to take pictures of. No, I’m not going to 
sit out to-night. I’m too tired. Tl conceal the 
camera in the bushes so it won’t be damaged if 
there’s a fight. Then, as I said, we'll start for 
Switzerland to-morrow.” 

“Switzerland!” cried Ned. “What in the 
world do you want to go make a big jump like 
that for? And what do you expect to get in that 
mountain land?” 

“Tm going to try for a picture of an ava- 
lanche,” said Tom. “Mr. Period wants one, if 
IT can get it. It is quite a jump, but then we'll 
be flying over civilized countries most of the 
time, and if any accident happens we can go 
down and easily make repairs. We can also get 
gasolene for the motor, though I have quite a 
supply in the tanks, and perhaps enough for the 
‘entire trip. At the same time we won’t take any 
chances. So we'll be off for Switzerland in the 
morning.” 

“T think some avalanche pictures will be great, 
if you can get them,” remarked Mr. Nestor. 
“But, Tom, you know those big slides of ice, 
snow and earth aren’t made to order.” 

“Oh, I know,” agreed the young inventor with 
a smile. “I'll just have to take my chances, and 
wait until one happens.” 

“Bless my insurance policy!” exclaimed Mr. 


IN A GREAT GALE 127 


Damon. “And when it does happen, Tom, are 
you going to stand in front of it, and snap-shot 
intend 

“Indeed I’m not. This business is risky and 
dangerous enough, without looking for trouble.. 
I'm going to the mountain region, and hover 
around in the air, until we see an avalanche ‘hap- 
pen’ if that is the right word. Then I'll focus the 
camera on it, and the films and machinery will do 
the rest.” 

“Oh, that’s different,” remarked the odd man, 
with an air of relief. 

Tom and Ned soon had the camera set near 
the spring and then, everyone being tired with 
the day’s work and excitement, they retired. In 
the morning there were signs around the spring 
that many animals had been there in the night. 
There were also marks as if there had been a 
fight, but of course what sort, or how desperate, 
no one could say. 

“If anything happened the camera got it, I’m 
sure of that much,” remarked Tom, as he brought 
in the apparatus. “I’m not going to develope! 
the roll, for I don’t want to take the time now.: 
I guess we must have something, anyhow.” 

“If there isn’t it won’t so much matter for 
you have plenty of other good views,” said Mr. 
Nestor. 


128 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


I will not go into details of the long trip to 
Switzerland, where, amid the mountains’ of that 
country, Tom hoped to get the view he wanted. 

Sufficient to say that the airship made good 
time after leaving India. Sometimes Tom sent 
the craft low down, in order to get views, and 
again, it would be above the clouds. 

“Well, another day will bring us there,” said 
Tom one evening, as he was loading the camera 
with a fresh roll of films. “Then we'll have to 
be on the lookout for an avalanche.” : 

“Yes, we're making pretty good time,” re- 
marked Ned, as he looked at the speed gage. 
“T didn’t know you had the motor working so 
fast, Tom.” 

“T haven’t,” was the young inventor’s answer, 
as he looked up in surprise. “Why, we are going 
quite fast! It’s the wind, Ned. It’s right with 
us, and it’s carrying us along.” 

Tom arose and went to the anemometer, or 
wind-registering instrument. He gave a low 
whistle, half of alarm. 

“Fifty miles an hour she’s blowing now,” he 
said. “It came on suddenly, too, for a little while 
ago it was only ten.” 

“Is there any danger?” asked Mr. Nestor, for 
he was not very familiar with airship perils. 

“Well, we’ve been in big blows before, and we 


IN A GREAT GALE 129 


generally came out all right,” returned Tom. 
“Still, I don’t like this. Why she went up five 
points since [ve been looking at it!” and he 
pointed to the needle of the gage, which now 
registered fifty-five miles an hour. 

“Bless my appendix!” gasped Mr. Damon. 
“It’s a hurricane Tom!” 

“Something like that,” put in Ned, in a low 
voice. 

With a suddeness that was startling, the wind 
increased in violence still more. Tom ran to the 
pilot house. 

“What are you going to do?” Ned called. 

“See if we can’t go down a bit,” was Tom’s 
- answer. “I don’t like this. It may be calmer 
below. We're up too high as it is.” 

He tried to throw over the lever controlling 
the deflecting rudder, which would send the 
Flyer down, but he could not move it. 

“Give me-a hand!” he called to Ned, but even 
the strength of the two lads was not sufficient 
to shift it. 

“Call Koku!” gasped Tom. “If anybody can’ 
budge it the giant can!” 

Meanwhile the airship was being carried on- 
ward in the grip of a mighty wind, so strong that 
its pressure on the surface of the deflecting rud- 
der prevented it from being shifted. 


CHAPTER XV 
SNAPPING AN AVALANCHE 


“BLEss my thermometer!” gasped Mr. Damon. 
“This is terrible!” Whe airship was plunging 
and swaying about in the awful gale. “Can't 
something be done, Tom?” 

“What has happened?” cried Mr. Nestor. 
“We were on a level keel before. What is it?” 

“It’s the automatic balancing rudder!” an- 
swered Tom. “Something has happened to it. 
The wind may have broken it! Come on, Ned!” 
_and he led the way to the engine room. 

“What are you going to do? Don’t you want 
Koku to shift the deflecting rudder? Here he 
is,” Ned added, as the giant came forward, in 
response to a signal bell that Tom’s chum had 
rung. 

“It’s too late to try the deflecting rudder 
cried Tom. “I must see what is the matter with 
our balancer.” As he spoke the ship gave a ter- 
rific plunge, and the occupants were thrown side- 
ways. ‘The next moment it was on a level keel 

I30 


1? 


SNAPPING AN AVALANCHE 131 


again, scudding along with the gale, but there 
was no telling when the craft would again nearly 
capsize. 

Tom looked at the mechanism controlling the 
equalizing and equilibrium rudder. It was out 
of order, and he guessed that the terrific wind 
was responsible for it. 

“What can we do?” cried Ned, as the airship 
nearly rolled over. “Can’t we do anything, 
Tom?” 

“Yes. I’m going to try. Keep calm now. 
We may come out all right. This is the worst 
blow we’ve been in since we were in Russia. 
Start the gas machine full blast. I want all the 
vapor I can get.” 

As I have explained the Flyer was a combined 
dirigible balloon and aeroplane. It could be used 
as either, or both, in combination. At present 
the gas bag was not fully inflated, and Tom had 
been sending his craft along as an aeroplane. 

“What are you going to do?” cried Ned, as 
he pulled over the lever that set the gas generat- 
ing machine in operation. 

“T’m going up as high as I can go!” cried Tom. 
“Tf we can’t go down we must go up. [Il get 
above the hurricane instead of below it. Give 
me all the gas you can, Ned!” 

The vapor hissed as it rushed into the big bag 


132 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


overhead. Tom carried aboard his craft the chem- 
icals needed to generate the powerful lifting gas, 
of which he alone had the secret. It was more 
powerful than hydrogen, and simple to make. 
The balloon of the Flyer was now being dis- 
tended. 

Meanwhile Tom, with Koku, Mr. Damon and 
Mr. Nestor to help him, worked over the deflect- 
ing rudder, and also on the equilibrium mechan- 
ism. But they could not get either to operate. 

Ned stood by the gas machine, and worked it 
to the limit. But even with all that energy, so 
powerful was the wind, that the Flyer rose slow- 
ly, the gale actually holding her down as a water- 
logged craft is held below the waves. Ordinarily, 
with the gas machine set at its limit the craft 
would have shot up rapidly. 

At times the airship would skim along on the 
level, and again it would be pitched and tossed 
about, until it was all the occupants could do to 
keep their feet. Mr. Damon was continually 
blessing everything he could remember. 

“Now she’s going!” suddenly cried Ned, as he 
looked at the dials registering the pressure of 
the gas, and showing the height of the airship 
above the earth. 

“Going how?” gasped Tom, as he looked over 


SNAPPING AN AVALANCHE 133 


from where he was working at the equilibrium 
apparatus. “Going down?” 

“Going up!” shouted Ned. “I guess we'll be 
all right soon!” 

It was true. Now that the bag was filled with 
the powerful lifting gas, under pressure, the 
Flyer was beginning to get out of the dangerous 
predicament into which the gale had blown her, 
Up and up she went, and every foot she climbed 
the power of the wind became less. 

“Maybe it all hapened for the best,” said Tom, 
as he noted the height gage. “If we had gone 
down, the wind might have been worse nearer 
the earth.” 

Later they learned that this was so. The most 
destructive wind storm ever known swept across 
the southern part of Europe, over which they 
were flying that night, and, had the airship gone 
down, she would probably have been destroyed. 
But, going up, she got above the wind-strata. 
Up and up she climbed, until, when three miles 
above the earth, she was ina calm zone. It was 
rather hard to breathe at this height, and Tom 
set the oxygen apparatus at work. 

This created in the interior of the craft an 
atmosphere almost like that on the earth, and 
the travelers were made more at their ease. 
Getting out of the terrible wind pressure made 


134 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


it possible to work the deflecting rudder, though 
Tom had no idea of going down, as long as the 
blow lasted. 

“We'll just sail along at this height until morn- 
ing,” he said, “and by then the gale may be over 
or we may be beyond the zone of it. Start the 
propellers, Ned. I think I can manage to repair 
the equilibrium rudder now.” 

The propellers, which gave the forward motion 
to the airship, had been stopped when it was 
found that the wind was carying her along, but 
they were now put in motion again, sending the 
Flyer forward. In a short time Tom had the 
equilibrium machine in order, and matters were 
now normal again. 

“But that was a strenuous time while it 
lasted,” remarked the young inventor, as he sat 
‘down. 

“Tt sure was,” agreed Ned. 

“Bless my pen wiper!” cried Mr. Damon. 
“That was one of the few times when I wish I’d 
never come with you, Tom Swift,” and everyone 
laughed at that. 

The Flyer was now out of danger, going along 
high in the air through the night, while the gale 
raged below her. At Tom’s suggestion, Koku 
got a lunch ready, for they were all tired with 


3 


SNAPPING AN AVALANCHE 138 


their labors, and somewhat nervous from the 
danger and excitement. 

“And now for sleep!” exclaimed Tom, as he 
pushed back his plate. “Ned, set the automatic 
steering gear, and we'll see where we bring up by 
morning.” 

An examination, through a powerful telescope 
in the bright light of morning, showed the trav- 
elers that they were over the outskirts of a large 
city, which, later, they learned was Rome, Italy. 

“We've made a good trip,” said Tom. “The 
gale had us worried, but it sent us along at a 
lively clip. Now for Switzerland, and the ava- 
lanches!” 

They made a landing at a village just outsidé 
the “Holy City,” as Rome is often called, and 
renewed their supply of gasolene. Naturally 
they attracted a crowd of curious persons, many 
of whom had never seen an airship before. Cer- 
tainly few of them had ever seen one like Tom 
Swift's. 

The next day found them hovering over the 
‘Alps, where Tom hoped to be able to get the 
pictures of snow slides. They went down to 
earth at a town near one of the big mountain 
ranges, and there made inquiries as to where 
would be the best location to look for big ava- 
lanches. If they went but a few miles to the 


136 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


north, they were told, they would be in the de- 
sired region, and they departed for that vicinity. © 

“And now we've just got to take our time, and 
wait for an avalanche to happen,” remarked Tom, 
as they were flying along over the mountain - 
ranges. “As Mr. Damon said, these things aren’t 
made to order. They just happen.” 

For three days they sailed in and out over the 
great snow-covered peaks of the Alps. They did 
not go high up, for they wanted to be near earth 
when an avalanche would occur, so that near- 
view pictures could be secured. Occasionally 
they saw parties of mountain climbers ascending 
some celebrated peak, and for want of something 
better to photograph, Tom “snapped” the tour- 
ists. 

“Well, I guess they’re all out of avalanches 
. this season,” remarked Ned ‘one afternoon, when 
they had circled back and forth over a mountain 
where, so it was said- the big snow slides were 
frequent. | 

“Tt does seem so,” agreed Tom. “Still, we’re 
in no hurry. It is easier to be up here, than it is 
walking around in a jungle, not knowing what 
minute a tiger may jump out at you.” 

“Bless my rubbers, yes!” agreed Mr. Damon. 

The sky was covered with lowering clouds, 
and there were occasionally flurries of snow. 


SNAPPING AN AVALANCHE 137 


Tom’s airship was well above the snow line on 
the mountains. The young inventor and Ned 
sat in the pilot house, taking observations through 
a spyglass of the mountain chain below them. 

Suddenly Ned, who had the glass focused on 
a mighty peak, cried out: 

“There she is, Tom!” 

“What?” 

“The avalanche! The snow is beginning to 
slide down the mountain! Say, it’s going to be 
a big one, too. Got your camera ready?” 

“Sure! Tve had it ready for the last three 
days. Put me over there, Ned. You look after 
the airship. and [ll take the pictures!” 

Tom sprang to get his apparatus, while his 
chum hurried to the levers, wheels and handles 
that controlled the Flyer. As they approached 
the avalanche they could see the great mass of 
ice, snow, big stones, and earth sliding down the 
mountain side, carrying tall trees with it. 

“This is just what I wanted!” cried Tom, ag 
he set his camera working. “Put me closer, 
Ned.” 

Ned obeyed, and the airship was now hovering 
directly over the avalanche, and right in its path. 
The big landslide, as it would have been called in 
this country, met no village in its path, fortunate- 
ly, or it would have wiped it out completely. It 


138 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


was in a wild and desolate region that it oc: 
curred. 

“TI want to get a real close view!” cried Tom, 
as he got some pictures showing a whole grove 
of giant trees uprooted and carried off. “Get 
closer Ned, and id 

Tom was interrupted by a cry of alarm from 
his chum. 

“We're falling!” yelled Ned. “Something has 
gone wrong. We’re going down into the ava- 
lanche !” 





CHAPTER XVI 
TELEGRAPH ORDERS 


THERE was confusion aboard the airship. 
Tom, hearing Ned’s cry, left his camera, to rush 
to the engine room, but not before he had set the 
picture apparatus to working automatically. Mr. 
Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned’s 
cries, ran back from the forward part of the 
craft, where they had been watching the mighty 
mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side 
of the mountain. 

“What’s wrong, Ned?” cried Tom excitedly. 

“T don’t know! The propellers have stopped! 
We were running as an aeroplane you know. 
Now we’re going down!” 

“Bless my suspenders!” shouted Mr. Damon. 
“Tf we land in the midst of that conglomeration 
of ice it will be the end of us.” 

“But we’re not going to land there!” cried 
Tom. 

“How are you going to stop it?” demanded 
Mr. Nestor. 

139 


140 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“By the gas machine!” answered Tom. “That 
will stop us from falling. Start it up, Ned!” 

“That’s right! I always forget about that! 
J’ll have it going in a second!” 

“Less than a second,” called Tom, as he saw 
how near to the mighty, rushing avalanche they 
Were coming. 

Ned worked rapidly, and in a very short time 
the downward course of the airship was checked. 
It floated easily above the rushing flood of ice 
and earth, and Tom, seeing that his craft, and 
those on it, were safe, hurried back to his camera. 
Meanwhile the machine had automatically been 
taking pictures, but now with the young inven- 
tor to manage it, better results would be obtained. 

Tom aimed it here and there, at the most spec- 
tacular parts of the avalanche. The others gath- 
_ ered around him, after Ned had made an in- 
spection, and found that a broken electrical wire 
had caused the propellers to stop. This was soon 
repaired and then, as they were hanging in the 
air like a balloon, Tom took picture after picture 
of the wonderful sight below them. Forest after 
forest was demolished. 

“This will be a great film!” Tom shouted to 
Ned, as the latter informed him that the ma- 
chinery was all right again. “Send me up a little. 
I want to get a view from the top, looking down.” 


TELEGRAPH ORDERS 141 


His chum made the necessary adjustments to 
the mechanism and then, there being nothing 
more to slide down the mountainside the ava- 
Janche: was ended. But what a mass of wreck 
and ruin there was! It was as if a mighty earth- 
quake had torn the mountain asunder. 

“It’s a good thing it wasn’t on a side of the 
mountain where people lived,” commented Ned, 
as the airship rose high toward the clouds. “If 
it had been, there’d be nothing left of ’em. What 
hair-raising stunt are you going to try next, 
Tom?” 

“I don’t know. I expect to hear from Mr. 
Period soon.” 

“Hear from Mr. Period?” exclaimed Mr. 
Nestor. “How are you going to do that, Tom?” 

“He said he would telegraph me at Berne, 
Switzerland, at a certain date, as he knew I was 
coming to the Alps to try for some avalanche 
pictures. It’s two or three days yet, before I 
can expect the telegram, which of course will 
have to come part way by cable. In the mean- 
while, I think we’ll take a little rest, and a va~ 
cation. I want to give the airship an overhaul- 
ing, and look to my camera. There’s no telling 
what Mr. Period may want next.” 

“Then he didn’t make out your programme 


142 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


completely before you started?” asked Mr. 
Nestor. 

“No, he said he’d communicate with me from 
time to time. He is in touch with what is going 
on in the world, you know, and if he hears of 
anything exciting at any place, I’m to go there 
at once. You see he wants the most sensational 
films he can get.” 

“Yes, our company is out to give the best pic- 
tures we can secure,” spoke Mary’s father, “and 
I think we are lucky to have Tom Swift working 
for us. We already have films that no other 
concern can get. And we need them.” 

“TI wonder what became of those men who 
started to make so much trouble for you, Tom?” 
asked Mr. Damon. 

“Well, they seem to have disappeared,” replied 
our hero. “Of course they may be after me any 
day now, but for the time being, ve thrown 
them off my track.” 

“So then you don’t know where you’re going 
next?” asked Ned. 

“No, it may be to Japan, or to the North Bale 
Well, I’m ready for anything. We've got plenty 
of gasolene, and the Flyer can certainly go,” said 
Tom. 

They went down to earth in a quiet spot, just 
outside of a little village, and there they remained 


TELEGRAPH ORDERS I4jZ 


three days, to the no small wonder of the inhabi- 
tants. Tom wanted to see if his camera was 
working properly. So he developed some of the 
avalanche pictures, and found them excellent. 
The rest of the time was spent in making somé 
needed repairs to the airship, while the young in- 
ventor overhauled his Wizard machine, that he 
found needed a few adjustments. 

Their arrival in Berne created quite a sensa- 
tion, but they were used to that. Tom anchored 
his airship just outside the city, and, accompanied 
by Ned, made his way to the teleghaph office. 
Some of the officials there could speak English, 
though not very well. 

“T am expecting a message,” said Tom. 

“Yes? Who for?” asked the clerk. 

“Tom Swift. It will be from America.” 

As Tom said this he observed a man sitting 
in the corner of the office get up hurriedly and 
go out. All at once his suspicions were aroused. 
He thought of the attempts that had been made 
to get his Wizard Camera away from him. 

“Who was that man?” he quickly asked the 
agent. 

“Him? Oh, he, too, is expecting a message 
from America. He has been here some time.” 

“Why did he go out so quickly?” Ned wanted 
to know. 


144 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Why, I can not tell. He is an Englishman. 
They do strange things.” 

“My telegram? Is it here?” ae Tom im- 
patiently. He wanted to get whatever word 
there was from Mr. Period, and be on his way 
to whatever destination the picture man might 
select. Perhaps, after all, his suspicions, against 
the man who had so suddenly. left, were un- 
founded. 

“Yes, there is a cablegram here for you, Mon- 
sieur Swift,” said the man, who was French. 
“There are charges on it, however.” 

“Pay ’em, Ned, while I see what this is,” qdi- 
rected the young inventor, as he tore open the 
envelope. 

“Whew!” he whistled a moment later. “This 
1s going some.” . 

“Where to now?” asked Ned. “The North 
Pole?” 

“No, just the opposite. Mr. Period wants me 
to go to Africa—the Congo Free State. There’s 
an uprising among the natives there, and he 
wants some war pictures. Well, I guess I'll have 
to go.” 

As Tom spoke he looked toward the door of 
the telegraph office, and he saw the man, who had 
so hurriedly gone out a few moments before, 
looking in at him. 


CHAPTER XVII 
SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS 


“OrF to Africa; eh?” remarked Ned, as Tom 
put the envelope in his pocket. “That’s another 
long jump. But I guess the Flyer can do it, 
Tom” 

“Yes, I think so. I say Ned, not so loud,” 
aad Tom, who had hurried to the side of his 
chum, whispered the last words. 

“What’s up?” inquired Ned quickly. “Any- 
thing wrong?” 

“I don’t know. But I think we are being 
‘watched. Did you notice that fellow who was in 
here a minute ago, when I asked for a telegram?” 

“Yes, what about him?” 

“Well, he’s looking in the door now I think. 
Tion’t turn round. Just look up into that mirror 
on the wall, and you can see his reflection.” 

“I understand,” whispered Ned, as he turned 
his gaze toward the mirror in question, a large 
one, with advertisements around the frame. “I 
see him,” he went on. “There’s some one with 
him.” 

145 


146 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“That’s what I thought,” replied Tom. “Take 
a good look. Whom do you think the other 
chap is?” 

Ned looked long and earnestly. By means of 
the mirror, he could see, perfectly plain, two men 
standing just outside the door of the telegraph 
office. The portal was only partly open. Ned 
drew an old letter from his pocket, and pretended 
to be showing it to Tom. But, all the while he 
was gazing earnestly at the two men. Suddenly 
one of them moved, giving Tom’s chum a better 
view of his face. 

“By Jove, Tom!” the lad exclaimed in a tense 
whisper. “If it isn’t that Eckert fellow I’m a 
cow.” 

“That’s what I thought,” spoke Tom coolly. 
“Not that you’re a cow, Ned, but I believe that 
this man is one of the moving picture partners, 
who are rivals of Mr. Period. I wasn’t quite sure 
myself after the first glance I had of him, so I 
wanted you to take a look. Do you know the 
other chap—the one who ran out when I asked 
\for my telegram?” 

“No, I’ve never seen him before as far as I 
know.” ) 

“Same here. Come on.” 

“What are you going to do?” 

“Go back to the airship, and tell Mr. Nestor. 


SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS 147 


As one of the directors in the concern I’m work- 
ing for. I want his advice.” 

“Good idea,” replied Ned, and they turned to 
leave the office. The spying stranger, and Wil- 
liam Eckert, were not in sight when the two lads 
came out. 

“They got away mighty quick,” remarked 
Tom, as he looked up and down the street. 

“Yes, they probably saw us turn to come out, 
and made a quick get-away. They might be in 
any one of these places along here,” for the 
street, on either side of the telegraph office, con- 
tained a number of hotels, with doors opening on 
the sidewalk. 

“They must be on your trail yet,” decided Mr. 
Nestor when Tom, reaching the anchored airship, 
told what had happened. “Well, my advice is to 
go to Africa as soon as we can. In that way 
we'll leave them behind, and they won’t have 
any chance to get your camera.” 

“But what I can’t understand,” said Tom, “is 
how they knew I was coming here. It was just 
as if that one man had been waiting in the tele- 
graph office for me to appear. I’m sorry, now, 
that I mentioned to Ned where we were ordered 
to. But I didn’t think.” 

“They probably knew, anyway,” was Mr. Nes- 
tor’s opinion. “I think this may explain it. The 


148 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


rival concern in New York has been keeping track 
of Mr. Period’s movements. Probably they have 
a paid spy who may be in his employ. They 
knew when he sent you a telegram, what it con- 
tained, and where it was directed to. Then, of 
course, they knew you would call here for it. 
What they did not know was when you would 
come, and so they had to wait. That one spy 
was on guard, and, as soon as you came, he went 
and summoned Eckert, who was waiting some- 
where in the neighborhood.” 

“Bless my detective story!” cried Mr. Damo‘. 
“What a state of affairs! They ought to be at- 
rested, Tom.” | 

“Tt would be useless,” said Mr. Nestor. “They 
are probably far enough away by this time. Or 
else they have put others on Tom’s track.” 

“Tl fight my own battles!” exclaimed thie 
young inventor. “I don’t go much on the polite 
in a case like this, especially foreign police. Well, 
my camera is all right, so far,” he went on, as he 
took a lock at it, in the compartment where he 
kept it. “Some one must always remain near it, 
after this. But we'll soon start for Africa, to 
get some pictures of a native battle. I hope it 
isn’t the red pygmies we have to photograph.” 

“Bless my shoe laces! Don’t suggest such a 
thing,” begged Mr. Damon, as he recalled the 


SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS 149 


strenuous times when the dwarfs held the mis- 
sionaries captive. 

It was necessary to lay in some stores and 
provisions, and for this reason Tom could not 
at once head the airship for the African jungles. 
As she remained at anchor, just outside the city, 
crowds of Swiss people came out to look at the 
wonderful craft. But Tom and his companions 
took care that no one got aboard, and they kept 
a strict lookout for Americans, or Englishmen, 
thinking perhaps that Mr. Eckert, or the spy, 
might try to get the camera. However, they did 
not see them, and a few days after the receipt 
of the message from Mr. Period, having stocked 
up, they rose high into the air, and set out to 
cross the Mediterranean Sea for Africa. Tom 
laid a route over Tripoli, the Sahara Desert, the 
French Congo, and so into the Congo Free 
State. In his telegram, Mr. Period had said that 
the expected uprising was to take place near 
Stanley Falls, on the Congo River. 

“And supposing it does not happen?” asked 
Mr. Damon. “What if the natives don’t fight, 
Tom? You'll have your trip for nothing, and 
will run a lot of risk besides.” 

“It's one of the chances I’m taking,” replied 
the young inventor, and truly, as he thought of 
it, he realized that the perils of the moving pic« 


180 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


ture business were greater than he had imagined. 

Tom hoped to get a quick trip to the Congo, 
but, as they were sailing over the big desert, 
there was an accident to the main motor, and the 
airship suddenly began shooting toward the 
sands. She was easily brought up, by means of 
the gas bags, and allowed to settle gently to the 
ground, in the vicinity of a large oasis. But, 
when Tom looked at the broken machinery, he 
said: 

“This means a week’s delay. It will take that, 
and longer, to fix it so we can go on.” 

“Too bad!” exclaimed Mr. Nestor. “The war 
may be over when we get there. But it can’t be 
helped.” 

It took Tom and his friends even longer than 
he had thought to make the repairs. In the 
meanwhile they camped in the desert place, which 
was far from being unpleasant. Occasionally a 
caravan halted there, but, for the most part, they 
were alone. 

“No danger of Eckert, or any of his spies 
coming here, I guess,” said Tom grimly as he 
blew on a portable forge, to weld two pieces of 
iron together. 

In due time they were again on the wing, and 
without further incident they were soon in the 
vicinity of Stanley Falls. They managed to locate 


SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS I5! 


a village where there were some American mis- 
sionaries established. They were friends of Mr. 
and Mrs. Illington, the missionaries whom Tom 
had saved from the red pygmies, as told in the 
“Electric Rifle” volume of this series, and they 
made our hero and his friends welcome. 

“Ts it true?” asked Tom, of the missionaries 
who lived not far from Stanley Falls, “that there 
is to be a native battle? Or are we too late 
for it?” 

“TI am sorry to say, I fear there will be fighting 
among the tribesmen,” replied Mr. Janeway, one 
of the Christian workers. “It has not yet taken 
place, though.” 

“Then I’m not too late!” cried Tom, and there 
was exultation in his voice. “I don’t mean to 
be barbarous,” he went on, as he saw that the 
missionaries looked shocked, “but as long as they 
are going to fight I want to get the pictures.” 

“Oh, they’ll fight all right,” spoke Mrs. Jane- 
way. “The poor, ignorant natives here are al- 
ways ready to fight. This time I think it is about 
some cattle that one tribe took from another.” 

“And where will the battle take place?” 
asked Tom. 

“Well, the rumors we have, seem to indicate 
that the fight will take place about ten miles 
north of here. We will have notice of it before 


152 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


it starts, as some of the natives, whom we have 
succeeded in converting, belong to the tribe that 
is to be attacked. They will be summoned to 
the defense of their town and then it will be time 
enough for you to go. Oh, war is a terrible 
thing! I do not like to talk about it. Tell me how 
you rescued our friends from the red pygmies,” 
and Tom was obliged to relate that story, which 
I have told in detail elsewhere. 

Several days passed, and Tom and his friends 
spent a pleasant time in the African village with 
the missionaries. The airship and camera were in 
readiness for instant use, and during this period 
of idleness our hero got several fine films of 
animal scenes, including a number of night-fights 
among the beasts at the drinking pools. One 
tiger battle was especially good, from a photo- 
graphic standpoint. 

One afternoon, a number of native bearers 
cate into the town. They preceeded two white 
men, who were evidently sportsmen, or explorers, 
and the latter had a well equipped caravan. The 
strangers sought the advice of the missionaries 
about where big game might be found, and Tom 
happened to be at the cottage of Mr. Janeway 
when the strangers arrived. 

The young inventor looked at them critically, 
as he was introduced to them. Both men spoke 


SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS 153 


with an English accent, one introducing himself 
as Bruce Montgomery, and the other as Wade 
Kenneth. Tom decided that they were of the or- 
dinary type of globe-trotting Britishers, until, 
on his way to his airship, he passed the place 
where the native bearers had set down the lug- 
gage of the Englishmen. 

“Whew!” whistled Tom, as he caught sight of 
a peculiarly shaped box. “See that, Ned?” 

“Yes, what is it? A new kind of magazine 
gun?” 

“It’s a moving picture camera, or I lose my 
guess!” whispered Tom. “One of the old fash- 
ioned kind. Those men are no more tourists, or 
after big game, than I am! They’re moving 
picture men, and they’re here to get views of that 
native battle! Ned, we’ve got to be on our guard. 
They may be in the pay of that Turbot and 
Eckert firm, and they may try to do us some 
harm!” 

“That’s so!” exclaimed Ned. “We'll keep 
watch of them, Tom.” 

As they neared their airship, there came, run- 
ning down what served as the main village street, 
an African who showed evidence of having come 
from afar. As he ran on, he called out some- 
thing in a strange tongue. Instantly from their 
huts the other natives swarmed. 


154 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“What’s up now?” cried Ned. 

“Something important, I’ll wager,” replied 
Tom. “Ned, you go back to the missionaries’ 
house, and find out what itis. I’m going to stand 
guard over my camera.” 

“It’s come!” cried Ned a little later, as he hur- 
ried into the interior of the airship, where Tom 
was busy working over a new attachment he in. 
tended putting on his picture machine. 

“What has?” 

“War! That native, whom we saw running in, 
brought news that the battle would take place 
day after to-morrow. ‘The enemies of his tribe 
are on the march, so the African spies say, and 
he came to summon all the warriors from this 
town. We've got,to get busy!” 

“That’s so. What about those Enghlishmen?” 

“They were talking to the missionaries whén 
the runner came in. They pretended to have no 
interest in it, but I saw one wink to the other, 
and then, very soon, they went out, and I saw 
them talking to their native bearers, while they 
were busy over that box you said was a picture 
machine.” 

“I knew it, Ned! I was sure of it! Those 
fellows came here to trick us, though how they 
ever followed our trail I don’t know. Probably 
they came by a fast steamer to the West Coast, 


SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS Iss 


and struck inland, while we were delayed on the 
desert. I don’t care if they are only straight 
out-and-out rivals—and not chaps that are trying 
to take an unfair advantage. I suppose all the 
big picture concerns have a tip about this war, 
and they may have representatives here. I hope 
we get the best views. Now come on, and give 
me a hand. We've got our work cut out for us, 
all right.” 

“Bless my red cross bandage!” cried Mr. 
Damon, when he heard the news. “A native 
fight, eh? That will be something I haven’t seen 
in some time. Will there be any danger, Tom, 
do you think?” 

“Not unless our airship tumbles down between 
the two African forces,” replied our hero, “and 
Pll take care that it doesn’t do that. “We’ll be 
well out of reach of any of their blow guns, or 
arrows.” 

“But I understand that many of the tribes 
have powder weapons,” said Mr. Nestor. 

“They have,” admitted Tom, “but they are 
“trader’s’ rifles, and don’t carry far. We won’t 
run any risk from such old-fashioned guns.” 

“A big fight; eh?” asked Koku when they told 
him what was before them. “Me like to help.” 

“Yes, and I guess both sides would give a 
premium for your services,” remarked Tom, as he 


g56 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


gazed at his big servant. “But we'll need you 
with us, Koku.” 

“Oh, me stay with you, Mr. Tom,” exclaimed 
the big man, with a grin. 

Somewhat to Tom’s surprise the two English. 
men showed no further interest in him and his 
airship, after the introduction at the mission- 
aries’ bungalow. 

With the stolidity of their race the Britishers 
did not show any surprise, as, some time after- 
ward, they strolled down toward Tom’s big craft, 
after supper, and looked it over. Soon they went 
back to their own camp, and a little later, Koku, 
who walked toward it, brought word that the 
Englishmen were packing up. ; 

“They're going to start for the seat of war 
the first thing in the morning,” decided Tom. 
“Well, we'll get ahead of them. Though we can 
travel faster than they can, we'll start now, and 
be on the ground in good season. Besides, I don’t 
like staying all night in the same neighborhood 
with them. Get ready for a start, Ned.” 

Tom did not stop to say good-bye to the Eng- 
lishmen, though he bade farewell to the mission- 
aries, who had been so kind to him. There was 
much excitement in the native town, for many 
of the tribesmen were getting ready to depart to 


_ SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS ‘sy 


help their friends or relatives in the impending 
battle. 

As dusk was falling, the big airship arose, and 
soon her powerful propellers were sending her 
across the jungle, toward Stanley Falls in the 
vicinity of which the battle was expected to take 
place. 


CHAPTER XVIII 
THE NATIVE BATTLE 


“By Jove, Tom, here they come!” 

“From over by that drinking pool?” 

“Yes, just as the spies said they would. Wow, 
what a crowd of the black beggars there are! And 
some of ’em have regular guns, too. But most 
of ’em have clubs, bows and arrows, blow guns, 
or spears.” 

Tom and Ned were standing on the forward 
part of the airship, which was moving slowly 
along, over an open plateau, in the jungle where 
the native battle was about to take place. Our 
friends had left the town where the missionaries 
lived, and had hovered over the jungle, until they 
saw signs of the coming struggle. They had 
seen nothing of their English rivals since coming 
away, but had no doubt but that the Britishers 
‘were somewhere in the neighborhood. 

The two forces of black men, who had gone 
to war over a dispute about some cattle, ap- 


proached each other. There was the beating of 
158 


THE NATIVE BATTLE 159 


tom-toms, and skin drums, and many weird 
shouts. From their vantage point in the air, 
Tom and his companions had an excellent view. 
The Wizard Camera was loaded with a long reel 
of film, and ready for action. 

“Bless my handkerchief!” cried Mr. Damon, 
as he looked down on the forces that were about 
to clash. “I never saw anything like this be- 
fore!” 

“TI either,” admitted Tom. “But, if things go 
right, I’m going to get some dandy films!” 

Nearer and nearer the rival forces advanced. 
At first they had stared, and shouted in wonder 
at the sight of the airship, hovering above them, 
but their anger soon drew their attention to the 
fighting at hand, and, after useless gestures 
toward the craft of the air, and after some of 
them had vainly fired their guns or arrows at it, 
they paid no more attention, but rushed on with 
their shouts and cries and amid the beating of 
their rude drums. 

“T think Ill begin to take pictures now,” said 
Tom, as Ned, in charge of the ship, sent it about' 
in a circle, giving a general view of the rival 
forces. “I'll show a scene of the two crowds 
getting ready for business, and, later on, when 
they’re actually giving each other cats and dogs, 
I'll get all the pictures possible.” 


160 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


The camera was started while, safe in the air, 
those on the Flyer watched what went on below 
them. 

Suddenly the forward squads of the two small 
armies of blacks met. With wild, weird yells 
they rushed at each other. The air was filled 
. with flying arrows and spears. The sound of the 
old-fashioned muzzle-loading guns could be 
heard, and clouds of smoke arose. ‘Tilting his 
camera, and arranging the newly attached re- 
flecting mirrors so as to give the effect as if a 
spectator was looking at the battle from in front, 
instead of from above, Tom Swift took picture 
after picture. , 

The fight was now on. With yells of rage and 
defiance the Africans came together, giving blow 
for blow. It was a wild meleé, and those on the 
airship looked on fascinated, though greatly 
wishing that such horrors could be stopped. 

“How about it, Tom?” cried Ned. 

“Everything going good! I don’t like this 
business, but now I’m in it I’m going to stick. 
Put me down a little lower,” answered the young 
inventor. 

‘All right. I say Tom, look over there.” 

‘“* Where?” 

“By that lightning-struck gum tree. See those 


THE NATIVE BATTLE 161 


two men, and some sort of a machine they’ve 
got stuck up on stilts? See it?” 

“Sure. Those are the two Englishmen—my 
rivals! They’re taking pictures, too!”’ 

And then, with a crash and roar, with wild 
shouts and yells, with volley after volley of fire- 
arms, clouds of smoke and flights of arrows and 
spears, the native battle was in full swing, while 
the young inventor, sailing above it in his air- 
ship, reeled off view after view of the strange 
sight. 


CHAPTER XIX 
A HEAVY LOSS 


“BLess my battle axe, but this is awful!” cried 
Mr. Damon. 

“War is always a fearful thing,” spoke Mr. 
Nestor. “But this is not as bad as if the natives 
fought with modern weapons. See! most of 
‘them are fighting with clubs, and their fists. They 
don’t seem to hurt each other very much.” 

“That’s so,” agreed Mr. Damon. The two 
gentlemen were in the main cabin, looking down 
on the fight below them, while Tom, with Ned 
to help him change the reels of films, as they be- 
came filled with pictures, attended to the camera. 
Koku was steering the craft, as he had readily 
learned how to manage it. 

“Are those Englishmen taking pictures yet?” 
asked Tom, too busy to turn his head, and look 
for himself. 

“Yes, they’re still at,” replied Ned. “But they 
seem to be having trouble with their machine,” 


he added as he saw one of the men leave the 
162 


A HEAVY LOSS 163 


apparatus, and run hurriedly back to where they 
had made a temporary camp. 

“TI guess it’s an old-fashioned kind,” com- 
mented Tom. “Say, this is getting fierce!” he’ 
cried, as the natives got in closer contact with 
‘each other. It was now a hand-to-hand battle. 

“T should say so!” yelled Ned. “It’s a wonder 
those Engilshmen aren’t afraid to be down on 
the same level with the black fighters.” 

“Oh, a white person is considered almost 
sacred by the natives here, so the missionaries 
told me,” said Tom. “A black man would never 
think of raising his hand to one, and the English- 
men probably know this. They’re safe enough. 
In fact I’m thinking of soon going down myself, 
and getting some views from the ground.” 

“Bless my gizzard, Tom!” cried Mr. Damon. 
“Don’t do it!” 

“Yes, I think I will. Why, it’s safe enough. 
Besides, if they attack us we have the electric 
rifles. Ned, you tell Koku to get the guns out, 
to have in readiness, and then you put the ship 
down. [ll take a chance.” 

“Jove! You’ve been doing nothing but tale 
chances since we came on this trip!” exclaimed 
Ned, admiringly. “All right! Here we go,” and 
he went to relieve Koku at the wheel, while the 
giant, grinning cheerfully at the prospect of tak- 


164 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


ing part in the fight himself, got out the rifles, 
including his own. 

Meanwhile the native battle went on fiercely. 
Many on both sides fell, and not a few ran away, 
when they got the chance, their companions yell- 
ing at them, evidently trying to shame them irito 
coming back. 

As the airship landed, Mr. Damon, Mr. Nes- 
tor, Ned and Koku stood ready with the deadly 
electric rifles, in case an attack should be made 
on them. But the fighting natives paid no mare 
attention to our friends than they did to the two 
Englishmen. The latter moved their clursy 
camera from place to place, in order to get vari- 
ous views of the fighting. | 

“This is the best yet!” cried Tom, as, after a 
lull in the fight, when the two opposing armies 
had drawn a little apart, they came together 
again more desperately than before. “I hepe 
the pictures are being recorded all right. I have 
to go at this thing pretty much in the dark. Say, 
look at the beggars fight!” he finished. 

But a battle, even between uncivilized blacks, 
cannot go on for very long ata time. Many had 
fallen, some being quite severely injured it 
seemed, being carried off by: their friends. Them, 
with a sudden rush, the side which, as our friends 
learned later, had been robbed of their cattle, 


A HEAVY LOSS 163 


made a fierce attack, overwhelming their enemies, 
and compelling them to retreat. Across the 
open plain the vanquished army fled, with the 
others after them. Tom, meanwhile, taking pic- 
tures as fast as he could. 

' “This ends it!” he remarked to Ned, when the 
watriors were too far away to make any more 
good views. “Now we can take a rest.” 

“The Englishmen gave up some time ago,” 
said his chum, motioning to the two men who 
were taking their machine off the tripod. 

“Guess their films gave out,” spoke Tom. 
“Well, you see it didn’t do any harm to come 
down, and I got some better views here.” 

“Here they come back!” exclaimed Ned, as 
a horde of the black fellows emerged from the 
jungle, and came on over the plain. 

“Hear ’em sing!” commented Tom, as the 
sound of a rude chant came to their ears. “They 
must be the winners all right.” 

“TI guess so,” agreed Ned. “But what about 
staying here now? Maybe they won’t be so 
friendly to us when they haven’t any fighting to 
occupy their minds.” 

“Don’t worry,” advised Tom. “They won’t 
bother us.” 

And the blacks did not. They were caring 
for their wounded, who had not already been 


sige TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


taken from the field, and they paid no attention 
to our friends, save to look curiously at the 
airship. 

“Bless my newspaper!” cried Mr. Damon, with 
an air of relief. “I’m glad that’s over, and we 
didn’t have to use the electric rifles, after all.” 

“Here come the Englishmen to pay us a visit,” 
spoke Ned a little later, as they sat about the 
cabin of the Flyer. The two rival picture men 
soon climbed on deck. 

“Beg pardon,” said the taller of the two, ad< 
dressing our hero, “but could you lend us a roll 
of film? Ours are all used up, and we want to 
get some more pictures before going back to our 
main camp.” | 

“T’m sorry,” replied Tom, “but I use a special 
size, and it fits no camera but my own.” 

“Ah! might we see your camera?” asked the 
other Englishman. “That is, see how it works?” 

“Tt don’t like to be disobliging,” was Tom’s 
answer, “but it is not yet patented and— 
well ” he hesitated. 

“Oh, I see!” sneered the taller visitor. “You’re 
afraid we might steal some of your ideas. Hum! 
Come on Montgomery,” and, swinging on his 
heels, with a military air, he hurried away, fol- 
lowed by his companion. 

“They don’t like that, but I can’t help it,” re- 





MeHEAY Y LOSS 167 


marked Tom to his friends a little later. “I 
can’t afford to take any chances.” 

“No, you did just right,” said Mr. Nestor. 
“Those men may be all right, but from the fact 
that they are in the picture taking business I'd 
be suspicious of them.” 

“Well, what’s next on the programme?” asked 
Ned as Tom put his camera away. 

“Oh, I think we’ll stay here over night,” was 
our hero’s reply. “It’s a nice location, and the 
‘pas machine needs cleaning. We can do it here, 
and maybe I can get some more pictures.” 

They were busy the rest of the day on the gas 
generator, but the main body of natives did not 
come back, and the Englishmen seemed to have 
disappeared. 

Everyone slept soundly that night. So sound- 
ly, in fact, that the sun was very high when 
Koku was the first to awaken, His head felt 
strangely dizzy, and he wondered at a queer 
smell in the room he had to himself. 

“Nobody up yet,” he exclaimed in surprise, as 
he staggered into the main cabin. ‘There, too, 
was the strange, sweetish, sickly smell. “Mr. 
Tom, where you be? Time to get up!” the giant 
called to his master, as he went in, and gently 
shook the young inventor by the shoulder. 

“Eh? What’s that? What’s the matter?” be- 


168 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


gan Tom, and then he suddenly sat up. “Oh, 
my head!” he exclaimed, putting his hands to his 
aching temples. 

“And that queer smell!” added Ned, who was 
also awake now. 

“Bless my talcum powder!” cried Mr. Damon. 
“T have a splitting headache.” 

“Hum! Chloroform, if I’m any judge!” called 
Mr. Nestor from his berth. 

“Chloroform!” cried Tom, staggering to his 
feet. “I wonder ” He did not finish his sen- 
tence, but made his way to the room where his 
camera was kept. “It’s gone!” he cried. “We 
have been chloroformed in the night, and some 
one has taken my Wizard Camera.” 





CHAPTER XX 
AFTER THE ENGLISHMEN 


“THE camera gone!” gasped Ned. 

“Did they chloroform us?” exclaimed Mr. 
Damon. “Bless my ” but for one of the few 
times in his life, he did not know what to bless. 

“Get all the fresh air you can,” hastily advised 
Mr. Nestor. “Koku, open all the doors and win- 
dows,” for, though it was hot during the day in 
the jungle, the nights were cool, and.the airship 
was generally closed up. With the inrush of 
the fresh air every one soon felt better. 

“Is anything else gone?” asked Ned, as he 
followed Tom into the camera room. 

“Yes, several rolls of unexposed films. Oh, if 
only they haven’t got too much of a start! I'll 
get it away from them!” declared Tom with 
energy. 

“From who? Who took it?” asked Ned. 

“Those Englishmen, of course! Who else? I 
believe they are in the pay of Turbot and Eckert. 
Their taking pictures was only a bluff! They gof 

169 . 





170 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


on my trail and stuck to it. The delays we had, 
gave them a chance to catch up to us., They 
came over to the airship, to pretend to borrow 
films, just to get a look at the place, and size 
it up, so they could chloroform us, and get the 
camera.” 

“TI believe you're right,” declared Mr. Nestor. 
“We must get after those scoundrels as quickly 
as possible!” 

“Bless my shoulder braces!” cried Mr. Damon. 
“How do you imagine they worked that tricle 
on us?” 

“Easily enough,” was Mr. Nestor’s opinion, 
“We were all dead tired last night, and slept like 
tops. They watched their chance, sneaked up, 
and got in. After that it was no hard matter 
to chloroform each one of us in turn, and they 
had the ship to themselves. They looked around, 
found the camera, and made off with it.” 

“Well, I’m going to get right after them!” 
cried Tom. “Ned, start the motor. I’ll steer for 
a while.” 

“Hold on! Wait a minute,” suggested Mr. 
Nestor. “I wouldn’t go off in the ship just yet, 
Ce 

“Why not?” 

“Because you don’t know which way to go. 
We must find out which trail the Englishmen 


AFTER THE ENGLISHMEN 171 


took. They have African porters with them, and 
those porters doubtless know some of the blacks 
around here. We must inquire of the natives 
which way the porters went, in carrying the 
goods of our rivals, for those Englishmen would 
not abandon camp without taking their baggage 
with them.” 

“That’s so,” admitted the young inventor. 
“That will be the best plan. Once I find which 
way they have gone I can easily overtake them 
in the airship. And when I find *em——-” Tom 
paused significantly. 

“Me help you fix ’em!” cried Koku, clenching 
his big: fist. 

“They will probably figure it out that you will 
take after them,” said Mr. Nestor, “but they 
may not count on you doing it in the Flyer, and 
so they may not try to hide. It isn’t going to be 
an easy matter to pick a small party out of the 
jungle though, Tom.” 

“Well, I’ve done more difficult things in my 
airships,” spoke our hero. “T’ll fly low, and use 
the glass. I guess we can pick out their crowd 
of porters, though they won’t have many. Oh, 
my camera! I hope they won’t damage it.” 

“They won’t,” was Ned’s opinion. “It’s too 
valuable. They want it to take pictures with, 
themselves.” 


“172 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Maybe. I hope they don’t open it, and see 
how it’s made. And I’m glad I thought to hide 
the picture films I’ve taken so far. They didn’t 
get those away from us, only some of the blank 
ones,” and Tom looked again in a secret closet. 
where he kept the battle-films, and the others, in 
the dark, to prevent them from being light 
struck, by any possible chance. 

“Well, if we’re going to make some inquiries, 
let’s do it,” suggested Mr. Nestor. “I think I 
see some of the Africans over there. They havé 
made a temporary camp, it seems, to attend to 
some of their wounded.” — 

“Do you think we can make them understand 
what we want?” asked Ned. “I don’t believe 
they speak English.” 

“Oh these blacks have been trading with white 
men,” said Tom, “for they have ‘trader’s’ guns, 
built to look at, and not to shoot very well. I 
fancy -we can make ourselves understood. If 
mot, we can use signs.” 

Leaving Koku and Mr. Damon to guard the 
airship, Tom, Ned and Mr. Nestor went to the 
African camp. There was a large party of men 
there, and they seemed friendly enough. Proba- 
bly winning the battle the day before had nut 
them in good humor, even though many of them 
were hurt. 





AFTER THE ENGLISHMEN 173 


To Tom’s delight he found one native who 
could speak a little English, and of him they 
made inquiries as to what direction the English- 
men had taken. The black talked for a while 
among his fellows, and then reported to our 
friends that, late in the night, one of the porters, 
hired by Montgomery and Kenneth, had come to 
camp to bid a brother good-bye. This porter had 
said that his masters were in a hurry to get away, 
and had started west. 

“That’s it!” cried Mr. Nestor. “They’re go- 
ing to get somewhere so they can inake their way 
to the coast. They want to get out of Africa 
as fast as they can.” 

“And I’m going to get after ’em as fast as J 
can!” cried Tom grimly. “Come on!” 

They hurried back to the airship, finding Koku 
and Mr. Damon peacefully engaged in talk, no 
one having disturbed them. 

“Start the motor, Ned!” called his chum. 
“We'll see what luck we have!” 

Up into the air went the Flyer, her great pro-. 
pellers revolving rapidly. Over the jungle she 
shot, and then, when he found that everything 
was working well, and that the cleaned gas gen- 
erator was operating as good as when it was new, 
the young inventor slowed up, and brought the 
craft down to a lower level. 


| 174 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“For we don’t want to run past these fel- 
lows, or shoot over their heads in our hurry,” 
Tom explained. “Ned, get out the binoculars, 
They’re easier to handle than the telescope. Then 
go up forward, and keep a sharp lookout. There 
is something like a jungle traii below us, and it 
looks to be the only one around here. They 
probably took that.” Soon after leaving the 
place where they had camped after the battle, 
Tom had seen a rude path through the forest. 
and had followed that lead. 

On sped the Flyer, after the two Englishmén, 
while Tom thought regretfully of his stolen 
camera. 


Je ae 


CHAPTER XXI 
THE JUNGLE FIRE 


“WELL, Tom, I don’t seem to see anything of 
them,” remarked Ned that afternoon, as he sat 
in the bow of the air craft, gazing from time to 
time through the powerful glasses. 

“No, and I can’t understand it, either,” re- 
sponded the young inventor, who had come for- 
ward to relieve his chum. “They didn’t have 
much the start of us, and they’ll have to travel 
very slowly. It isn’t as if they could hop on a 
train; and, even if they did, I could overtake 
them in a short time. But they have to travel 
on foot through the jungle, and can’t have gone 
far.” 

“Maybe they have bullock carts,” suggested 
Mr. Damon. 

“The trail isn’t wide enough for that,” de- 
clared Tom. “We’ve come quite a distance now, 
even if we have been running at low speed, and 
we haven’t seen even a black man on the trail,” 
and he motioned to the rude path below them. 

175 


176 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“They may have taken a boat and slipped 
down that river we crossed a little while ago,” 
suggested Ned. 

“That’s so!” cried Tom. “Why didn’t I think 
of it? Say! I’m going to turn back.” 

“Turn back?” 

“Ves, and go up and down the stream a way. 
We have time, for we can easily run at top speed 
on the return trip. Then, if we don’t see any- 
thing of them on the water, we'll pick up the trail 
again. Put her around, Ned, and I'll take the 
glasses for a while.” 

The Flyer was soon shooting back over the 
same trail our friends had covered, and, as Ned 
set the propellers going at top speed, they were 
quickly hovering over a broad, but shallow river, 
which cut through the jungle. 

“Try it down stream first,” suggested Tom, 
who was peering through the binoculars. “They'd 
be most likely to go down, as it would be easier.” 

Along over the stream swept the airship, cov- 
ering several miles. 

“There’s a boat!” suddenly exclaimed Mr. 
Nestor, pointing to a native canoe below them. 

“Bless my paddle wheel! So it is!” cried Mr. 
Damon. “I believe it’s them, Tom!” 

“No, there are only natives in that craft,” 
answered the young inventor a moment later, as 


THE JUNGLE FIRE uy 


he brought the binoculars into focus. “I wish 
it was them, though.” 

A few more miles were covered duwn stream, 
and then Tom tried the opposite direction. But 
all to no purpose. A number of boats were seen, 
and several rafts, but they had no white men 
on them. 

“Maybe the Englishmen disguised themselves 
like natives, Tom,” suggested Ned. 

Our hero shook his head. 

“T could see everything in the boats, through 
these powerful glasses,” he replied, “and there 
was nothing like my camera. “I’d know that a 
mile off. No, they didn’t take to this stream, 
though they probably crossed it. We'll have te 
keep on the way we were going. It will soon be 
night, and we'll have to camp. Then we’ll take 
up the search to-morrow.” 

It was just getting dusk, and Tom was looking 
about for a good place to land in the jungle, 
when Ned, who was standing in the bow, cried: 

“TI say, Tom, here’s a native village just ahead. 
There’s a good place to stop, and we can stay 
there over night.” 

“Good!” exclaimed Tom. “And, what’s more, 
Wwe can make some inquiries as to whether or not 
the Englishmen have passed here. This is 
great! Maybe we'll come out all right, after all. 


178 YOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


They can’t travel at night—or at least I don’t 
believe they will—and if they have passed thts 
village we can catch them to-morrow. We'll 
go down.” 

They were now over the native town, which 
was in a natural clearing in the jungle. The 
natives had by this time caught sight of the 
big airship over them, and were running about 1n 
terror. There was not a man, woman or child 
in sight when the Flyer came down, for the in- 
habitants had all fled in fright. 

“Not much of a chance to make inquiries of 
these folks,” said Mr. Nestor. 

“Oh, they'll come back,” predicted Torn. 
“They are naturally curious, and when they see 
that the thing isn’t going to blow up, they‘ll 
gather around. I’ve seen the same thing hap- 
pen before.” 

Tom proved a true prophet. In a little while 
some of the men began straggling back, when 
they saw our friends walking about the airship, 
as it rested on the ground. Then came the chil-. 
dren, and then the women, until the whole popu- 
lation was gathered about the airship, staring 
at it wonderingly. Tom made signs of friend- 
ship, and was lucky enough to find a nativé who 
Knew a few French words. Tom was not much 


THE JUNGLE FIRE 179 


of a French scholar, but he could frame a ques- 
tion as to the Englishmen. 

“Oui!” exclaimed the native, when he anders 
stood. Then he rattled off something, which 
Tom, after having it repeated, and making signs 
to the man to make sure he understood, said 
mneant that the Englishmen had passed through 
the village that morning. 

“We're on the right trail!” cried the young 
inventor. “They’re only a day’s travel ahead of 
1s. We'll catch them to-morrow, and get my 
camera back.” 

The natives soon lost all eat of the airship, 
and some of the chief men even consented to 
come aboard. Tom gave them a few trifles for 
presents, and won their friendship to such an 
extent that a great feast was hastily gotten up 
in honor of the travelers. Big fires were lighted, 
and fowls by the score were roasted. 

“Say, I’m glad we struck this place!” ex- 
claimed Ned, as he sat on the ground with the 
others, eating roast fowl. “This is all to the 
chicken salad!” 

“Things aré coming our way at last,” re- 
marked Tom. “We'll start the first thing in the 
morning. I wish I had my camera now. Td 
take a picture of this scene. Dad would enjoy 
it, and so would Mrs. Baggert. Oh, I almost 


180. TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


wish I was home again. But if I get my camera 
I’ve got a lot more work ahead of me.” 

“What kind?” asked Ned. 

“I don’t know. I’m to stop in Paris for the 
next instructions from Mr. Period. He is keep- 
ing in touch with the big happenings of. the 
world, and he may send us to Japan, to get some 
earthquake pictures.” | 

The night was quiet after the feast, and in the 
morning Tom and his friends sailed off in their 
airship, leaving behind the wondering and pleased 
natives, for our hero handed out more presents, 
of small value to him, but yet such things as the 
blacks prized highly. 

Once more they were flying over the trail, and 
they put on more speed now, for they were fair- 
ly sure that the men they sought were ahead of 
them about a day’s travel. This meant perhaps 
twenty miles, and Tom figured that he could cover 
fifteen in a hurry, and then go over the remain- 
ing five slowly, so as not to miss his quarry. 

“Say, don’t you smell something?” asked Ned 
a little later, when the airship had been slowed 
‘down. “Something like smoke?” 

“Humph! I believe I do get an odor of some- 
thing burning,” admitted Tom, sniffing the at- 
mosphere. | 

“Bless my pocket book!” exclaimed Mr. 


THE JUNGLE FIRE — 18 


Damon, “look down there, boys!” He pointed 
below, and, to the surprise of the lads, and no 
less of himself, he saw many animals hurrying 
back along the jungle trail. 

There were scores of deer, leaping along, here 
and there a tawny lion, and one or two tigers. 
Off to one side a rhinoceros crashed his way 
through the tangle, and occasionally an elephant 
was seen. 

“That’s queer,” cried Ned. “And they’re not 
paying any attention to each other, either.” 

“Something is happening,” was Mr. Nestor’s 
opinion. “Those animals are running away from 
something.” 

“Maybe it’s an elephant drive,” spoke Tom. 
“T think ‘ 

But he did not finish. The smell of smoke 
suddenly became stronger, and, a moment later, 
as the airship rose higher, in response to a change 
in the angle of the deflecting rudder, which Ned 
shifted, all on board saw a great volume of black 
smoke rolling toward the sky. 

“A jungle fire!” cried Tom. “The jungle is 
burning! That’s why the animals are running 
back this way.” 

“We'd better not go on!” shouted Ned, chok- 
ing a bit, as the smoke rolled nearer. 

“No, we’ve got to turn back!” decided Tom, 





182 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Say, this will stop the Englishmen! They can’t 

goon. We'll go back to the village we left, and 
wait for them. They’re trapped!” And then he 
added soberly: “I hope my camera doesn’t gei 
burnt up!” 


CHAPTER XXII : 
A DANGEROUS COMMISSION 


“Look at that smoke!” yelled Ned, as he sent 
the airship about in a great circle on ag back- 
ward trail. 

“And there’s plenty of blaze, too,” added Tom. 
“See the flames eating away! This stuff is as 
dry as tinder for there hasn’t been any rain for 
months.” 

“Much hot!” was the comment of the giant, 
when he felt the warm wind of the fire. 

“Bless my fountain pen!” gasped Mr. Damon, 
as he looked down into the jungle. “See all those 
animals!” | 

The trail was now thick with deer, and many 
small beasts, the names of which Tom did not 
know. On either side could be heard larger 
brutes, crashing their way forward to escape the 
fire behind them. ; 

“Oh, if you only had your camera now!” cried 
Ned. “You could get a wonderful picture, Tom.” 

“What’s the use of wishing for it. Those 


Englishmen have it, and ‘i 
183 





184 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


“Maybe they’re using it!” interrupted Ned. 

“No, I don’t think they would know how to 
work it. Do you see anything of them, Ned?” 

“Not a sight. But they’ll surely have to come 
back, just as you said, unless they got ahead of 
the fire. They can’t go on, and it would be mad- 
ness to get off the trail in a jungle like this.” 

“T don’t believe they could have gotten ahead 
of the fire,” spoke Tom. “They couldn’t travel 
fast enough for that, and see how broad the blaze 

is 
They were now higher up, well out of the 
heat and smoke of the conflagration, and they 
could see that it extended for many miles along 
the trail, and for a mile or so on either side of it. 

“We're far enough in advance, now, to go 
down a bit, I guess,” said Tom, a little later. “T 
want to get a good view of the path, and I can’t 
do that from up here. I have an idea that es 

Tom did not finish, for as the airship ap- 
. proached nearer the ground, he caught up a pair 
of binoculars, and focussed them on something 
on the trail below. 

“What is it?” cried Ned, startled by something 
in his chum’s manner. 

“Tt’s them! The Englishmen!” cried Tom. 
“See, they are racing back along the trail. Their 
porters have deserted them. But they have my 





A DANGEROUS COMMISSION 185 


camera! I can see it! [’m going down, and get 
it! Ned, stand by the wheel, and make a quick 
landing. Then we'll go up again!” 

Tom handed the glasses to his chum, and Ned 
quickly verified the young inventor’s statement. 
There were the two rascally Englishmen. The 
fire was still some distance in the rear, but was 
coming on rapidly. There were no animals to 
be seen, for they had probably gone off on a side 
trail, or had slunk deeper into the jungle. Above 
the distant roar of the blaze sounded the throb 
of the airship’s motor. The Englishmen heard 
it, and looked up. Then, suddenly, they mo- 
tioned to Tom to descend. 

“That’s what I’m going to do,” he said aloud, 
but of course they could not hear him. 

“They’re waiting for us!” cried Ned. “I won- 
der why?” for the rascals had come to a halt, 
setting down the packs they carried on the trail. 
One of the things they had was undoubtedly 
Tom’s camera. 

“They probably want us to save their lives,” 
said Tom. “They know they can’t out-run this 
fire. They’ve given up! We have them now!” 

“Are you going to save them?” asked Mr. 
Damon. 

“Of course. I wouldn’t let my worst enemy 
run the chances of danger in that terrible blaze. 


186 FOM SWIFT.AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


I'd save them even if they had smashed my 
camera. Jil go down, and get them, and take 
them back to the native village, but that’s as far 
as I will carry them. They'll have to get away 
as best they can, after that.” 

It was the work of but a few minutes to lower 
the airship to the trail. Fortunately it widened 
a bit at this point, or Tom could never have 
gotten his craft down through the trees. 

“Hand up that camera!” ordered our hero 
curtly, when he had stopped near the Englishmen, 

“Yes, my dear chap,” spoke the tall Britisher, 
“but will you oblige us, by taking us “i 

“Hand up the camera first!” sharply ordered 
Tom again. 

They passed it to him. 

“I know we treated you beastly mean,” went 
on Kenneth, “but, my dear chap——” 

“Get aboard,” was all Tom said, and when the 
rascals, with fearful glances back into the burn- 
ing jungle, did so, our hero sent his craft high 
into the air again. 

“Where are you taking us, my dear chap?” 
asked the tall rascal. 

“Don’t ‘dear chap’ me!” retorted Tom. “I 
don’t want to talk to you. I’m going to drop you 
at the native village.” 

“But that will burn!” cried the Englishman. 





A DANGEROUS COMMISSION 187 


b) 


“The wind is changing,” was our hero’s an- 
swer. “The fire won’t get to the village. You'll 
be safe. Have you damaged my camera?” he 
asked as he began to examine it, while Ned man- 
aged the ship. 

“No, my dear chap. You mustn’t think too 
hard of us. We were both down on our luck, 
and a chap offered us a big sum to get on your 
trail, and secure the camera. He said you had 
filched it from him, and that he had a right to 
it. Understand, we wouldn’t have taken it had 
we known # 

“Don’t talk to me!” interrupted Tom, as he 
saw that his apparatus had not been damaged. 
“The man who hired you was a rascal—that’s all 
I'll say. Put on a little more speed, Ned. I 
want to get rid of these ‘dear chaps’ and take 
some pictures of the jungle fire.” 

As Tom had said, the wind had changed, and 
was blowing the flames away off to one side, so 
that the native village would be in no danger. 
It was soon reached, and the Africans were sur- 
prised to see Tom’s airship back again. But he 
did not stay long, descending only to let the Eng- 
lishmen alight. They pleaded to be taken to the 
coast, making all sorts of promises, and stating 
that, had they known that Turbot and Eckert 
(for whom they admitted they had acted) were 





188 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


not telling the truth, they never would have taken 
Tom’s camera. 

“Don’t leave us here!” they pleaded. 

“T wouldn’t have you on board my airship an- 
other minute for a fortune!” declared Tom, as 
he signalled to Ned to start the motor. Then 
the Flyer ascended on high, leaving the plotters 
and started back for the fire, of which Tom got 
a series of fine moving pictures. 

A week later our friends were in Paris, hav- 
ing made a quick trip, on which little of incident 
occurred, though Tom managed to get quite a 
number of good views on the way. 

He found a message awaiting him, from Mr. 
Period. 

“Well, where to now?” asked Ned, as his chum 
read the cablegram. 

“Great Scott!” cried our hero. “Talk about 
hair-raising jobs, this certainly is the limit!” 

“Why, what’s the matter?” 

“I’ve got to get some moving pictures of a 
volcano in action,” was the answer. “Say, if I'd 
known what sort of things ‘Spotty’ wanted, I’d 
never have consented to take this trip. A vol- 
cano in action, and maybe an earthquake on the 
side! This is certainly going some!” 


CHAPTER XXIIl 
AT THE VOLCANO 


“AND you've got to snap-shot a volcano?” re- 
marked Ned to his chum, after a moment of sur- 
prised silence. “Any particular one? Is it Vesu- 
vias? If it is we haven’t far to go. But how 
dies Mr. Period know that it’s going to get into 
accion when we want it to?” 

“No, it isn’t Vesuvius,” replied Tom. “We’ve 
gft to take another long trip, and we'll have to 
gt, by steamer again. The message says that the 
Arequipa volcano, near the city of the same 
name, in Peru, has started to ‘erupt,’ and, ac- 
cording to rumor, it’s acting as it did many 
years ago, just before a big upheaval.” 

“Bless my Pummice stones!” cried <r. 
Damon. “And are you expected to get pictures 
of it shooting out flames and smoke, Tom?” 

“Of course. An inactive volcano wouldn’t make 
much of a moving picture. Well, if we go to 
Peru, we won’t be far from the United States, 


and we can fly back home in the airship. But 
189 


| 190 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


we've got to take the Flyer apart, and pack up 
again.” 

“Will you have time?” asked Mr. Nestor. 
“Maybe the volcano will get into action before 
you arrive, and the performance will be all over 
with.” | 

“T think not,” spoke Tom, as he again read 
the cablegram. “Mr. Period says he has advices 
from Peru to the effect that, on other occasions, 
it took about a month from the time smoke was 
first seen coming from the crater, before the fire- 
works started up. I guess we’ve got time enough, 
but we won’t waste any.” 

“And I guess Montgomery and Kenneth won’t 
be there to make trouble for us,” put in Ned. “It 
will be some time before they get away from 
that African town, I think.” 

They began work that day on taking the air- 
ship apart for transportation to the steamer that 
was to carry them across the ocean. Tom de- 
cided on going to Panama, to get a series of pic- 
tures. on the work of digging that vast canal. Om 

nquiry he learned that a steamér was soon to sail 
for Colon, so he took passage for his friends and 
himself on that, also arranging for the carrying 
of the parts of his airship. 

Tt was rather hard work to take the Flyer 
apart, but it was finally done, and, in about a 


AT THE VOLCANO IQf 


week from the time of arriving in Paris, they 
left that beautiful city. The pictures already 
taken were forwarded to Mr. Period, with a 
letter of explanation of Tom’s adventures thus 
far, and an account of how his rivals had acted. 

Just before sailing, Tom received another mes- 
sage from his strange employer. The cablegram 
read: 


“Understand our rivals are also going to try 
for volcano pictures. Can’t find out who will 
represent Turbot and Eckert, but watch out. Be 
suspicious of strangers.” 


“That’s what I will!” cried Tom. “If they 
get my camera away from me again, it will be my 
own fault.” 

The voyage to Colon was not specially inter- 
esting. They ran into a terrific storm, about 
half way over, and Tom took some pictures from 
the steamer’s bridge, the captain allowing him to 
do so, but warning him to be careful. 

“T’ll take Koku up there with me,” said the 
young inventor, “and if a wave tries to wash 
me overboard he’ll grab me.” 

And it was a good thing that he took this pre- 
caution, for, while a wave did not get as high as 
the bridge, one big, green roller smashed over 


192 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


the bow of the vessel, staggering her so that Tom 
was tossed against the rail. He would have been 
seriously hurt, and his camera might have been 
broken, but for the quickness of the giant. 

Koku caught his master, camera and all, in ane 
mighty arm, and with the other clung to a stan- 
chion, holding Tom in safety until the ship was 9n 
a level keel once more. 

“Thanks, Koku!” gasped Tom. “You alwé ys 
seem to be around when I need you.” ‘The giént 
grinned happily. 

The storm blew out in a few days, and, fr¢m 
then on, there was pleasant sailing. When Ton?s 
airship had been reassembled at Colon, it created 
quite a sensation among the small army of carttal 
workers, and, for their benefit, our hero gave sew- 
eral flying exhibitions. 

He then took some of the engineers on a little 
trip, and in turn, they did him the favor of letting 
him get moving pictures of parts of the work riot 
usually seen. 

“And now for the volcano!” cried Tom one 
morning, when having shipped to Mr. Period the 
canal pictures, the Flyer was sent aloft, and her 
nose pointed toward Arequipa. “We’ve got quite 
a run before us.” 

“How long?” asked Ned. 

“ About two thousand miles. But P’m going to 


AT THE VOLCANO 193 


speed her up to the limit.” Tom was as good as 
his word, and soon the Flyer was shooting along 
at. her best rate, reeling off mile after mile, just 
below the clouds. 

It was a wild and desolate region over which 
the travelers found themselves most of the time, 
though the scenery was magnificent. They sailed 
over Quito, that city on the equator, and, a little 
leer, they passed above the Cotopaxi and Chim- 
barazo volcanoes. But neither of them was in 
astion. The Andes Mountains, as you all know, 
has many volcanoes scattered along the range. 
Léma was the next large city, and there Tom made 
a descent to inquire about the burning mountain 
hy; was shortly to photograph. 

“Tt will soon be in action,” the United States 
caunsel said. “I had a letter from a corre- 
spoudent near there only yesterday, and he said 
_ the people in the town were getting anxious. They 
are fearing a shower of burning ashes, or that the 
eruption may be accompanied by an earthquake.” 

“Good!” cried Tom. “Oh, I don’t mean it exe 
actly that way,” he hastened to add, as he saw, 
the counsel looking queerly at him. “I meant 
that I could get pictures of both earthquake and 
volcano then. I don’t wish the poor people any 
harm.” 

“Well, you’re the first one I ever saw who was 


“194 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


anxious to get next door to a volcano,” remarked 
the counsel. “Hold on, though, that’s not quite 
right. I heard yesterday that a couple of young 
fellows passed through here on their way to the 
same place. Come to think of it, they were mov- 
ing picture men, also.” 

“Great Scott!” cried Tom. “Those must be 
my rivals, Pll wager. I must get right on the job. 
Thanks for the information,” and hurrying frona 
the office he joined his friends on the airship, 
and was soon aloft again. 

“Look, Tom, what’s that?” cried Ned, about 
noon the next day when the Flyer, according ta 
their calculations must be nearing the city of Are» 
quipa. “See that black cloud over there. I hope 
it isn’t a tornado, or a cyclone, or whatever they 
call the big wind storms down here.” 

Tom, and the others, looked to where Ned 
pointed. There was a column of dense smoke 
hovering in the air, lazily swirling this way and 
that. The airship was rapidly approaching it. 

“Why that * began Tom, but before he 
could complete the sentence the smoke was blown 
violently upward. It became streaked with fire, 
and, a moment later, there was the echo of a tre- 
mendous explosion. 

“The volcano!” cried Tom. “The Arequipa 
voleano! We're here just in time, for she’s in 





AT THE YOLCANO 195 


eruption now! Come on, Ned, help me get out 
the camera! Mr. Damon, you and Mr. Nestor 
manage the airship! Put us as close as you dare! 
I’m going to get some crackerjack pictures!” 

Once more came a great report. ; 

“Bless my toothpick!” gasped Mr. Damon. 
“This is awful!” And the airship rushed on 
toward the volcano which could be plainly seen 
now, belching forth fire, smoke and ashes. 


CHAPTER XXIV 
THE MOLTEN RIVER 


“WuHeEw!” gasped Ned, as he stood beside Tea 
in the bow of the airship. “What’s that choking 
us, Tom?” 

“Sulphur, I guess, and gases from the volcatw. 
The wind blew ’em over this way: They’re mot 
dangerous, as long as there is no carbonic acid 
gas given off, and I don’t smell any of that, yet. 
Say, Ned, it’s erupting all right, isn’t it?” 

“T should say so!” cried his chum. 

“Put us a little to one side, Mr. Damon,” called 
Tom to his friend, who was in the pilot house. “I 
can’t get good pictures through so much smoke. 
“It’s clearer off to the left.” 

“Bless my bath robe!” cried the odd man. 
“You're as cool about it, Tom, as though you 
were just in an ordinary race, at an aeroplane 
meet.” 

“And why shouldn’t I be?” asked our hero with 
a laugh, as he stopped the mechanism of the 
camera until he should have a clearer view of ithe 

196 


THE MOLTEN RIVER 197 


volcano. “There’s not much danger up here, but 
I want to get some views from the level, later, and 
then——” 

“You don’t get me down there!” interrupted 
Mr. Nestor, with a grim laugh. | 

They were now hovering over the volcano, 
but high enough up so that none of the great 
stones that were being thrown out could reach 
them. The column of black smoke, amid which 
could be seen the gleams of the molten fires in 
the crater, rolled toward them, and the smell of 
sulphur became stronger. 

But when, in accordance with Tom’s sugges- 
tion, the airship had been sent over to one side, 
they were clear of the vapor and the noxious gas. 
Then, too, a better view could be had of the 
volcano below them. 

“Hold her down!” cried Tom, as he got.ina 
good position, and the propellers were slowed 
down so that they just overcame the influence of 
a slight wind. Thus the Flyer hovered in the air, 
while below her the volcano belched forth red-hot 
rocks, some of them immense in size, and quan- 
tities of hot ashes and cinders. Tom had the 
camera going again now, and there was every 
prospect of getting a startling and wonderful, as 
well as rare series of moving pictures. 

“Wow! That was a big one!” cried Ned, as 


198 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


an unusually large mass of rocks was thrown 
out, and the column of fire and smoke ascended 
nearly to the hovering craft. A moment later 
came an explosion, louder than any that had pre- 
ceeded. “We'd better be going up; hadn’t we, 
Tom?” his chum asked. 

“A little, yes, but not too far. I want to get 
as many near views as I can.” 

“Biess my overshoes!” gasped Mr. Damon, as 
he heard Tom say that. Then he sent some of 
the vapor from the generating machine into the 
gas bag, and the Flyer arcse slightly. 

Ned looked in the direction of the town, but 
could not see it, on account of the haze. Then he 
directed his attention to the terrifying sight below 
him. 

“Tt’s a good thing it isn’t very near the city,” 
he said to Tom, who was engaged in watching the 
automatic apparatus of the camera, to see when he 
would have to put in a fresh film. “It wouldn't 
take much of this sort of thing to destroy a big 
city. But I don’t see any streams of burning 
Java, such as they always say come out of a 
volcano.” 

“It isn’t time for that yet,” replied Tom. “The 
lava comes out last, after the top layer of stones 
and ashes have been blown out. They are a soré 
of stopper to the volcano, I guess, like the cork 


THE MOLTEN RIVER 199 


of a bottle, and, when they’re out of the way, 
the red-hot melted rock comes out. Then there’s 
trouble. I want to get pictures of that.” 

“Well, keep far enough away,” advised Mr. 
Nestor, who had come forward. “Don’t take any 
‘chances. I guess your rivals won’t get here in 
time to take any pictures, for they can’t travel 
as fast as we did.” | 

“No,” agreed the young inventor, “unless 
some other party of them were here ahead of us. 
They'll have their own troubles, though, making 
pictures anything like as good as we’re getting.” 

“There goes another blast!” cried Ned, as a 
terrific explosion sounded, and a shower of hot 
stuff was thrown high into the air. “If I lived 
in Arequipa I’d be moving out about now.” 

“There isn’t much danger I guess, except from 
showers of burning ashes, and volcanic dust,” 
spoke Mr. Nestor, “and the wind is blowing it 
away from the town. If it continues this way 
the people will be saved.” 

“Unless there is so much of the red-hot lava 
that it will bury the city,” suggested Tom. “I 
hope that doesn’t happen,” and he could not re- 
press a shudder as he looked down on the awful 
scene below him. 

After that last explosion the volcano appeared 


200 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


to subside somewhat, though great clouds of 
smoke and tongues of fire leaped upward. 

“T’ve got to put in a new reel of film!” sudden- 
ty exclaimed Tom. “While I stop the camera, 
Mr. Damon, I think you and Mr. Nestor might 
put the airship down to the ground. I want some 
views on the level.” 

“What! Go down to earth with this awful vol- 
cano spouting fire?” cried Mr. Damon. “Bless 
my comb and brush!” 

“We can get well down the side of the moun- 
tain,” said Tom. “I won’t go into any danger, 
much less ask any one else to do so, and I cer- 
tainly don’t want my ship damaged. We can land 
down there,” he said, pointing to a spot on the 
side of the volcanic mountain, that was some dis- 
tance removed from the mouth of the crater. It 
won’t take me long to get one reel of views, and 
then Pll come up again.” 

The two men finally gave in to Tom’s argument, 
that there was comparatively little danger, for 
they admitted that they could quickly rise up at 
the first sign of danger, and accordingly the Flyer 
descended. Tom quickly had a fresh reel of film 
inserted, and started his camera to working, stand- 
ing it on a tripod some distance from the airship. 

Once more the volcano was “doing its pret 
tiest,” as Tom expressed it. He glanced around, 


THE MOLTEN RIVER 201 


as another big explosion took place, to see if any 
other picture men were on hand, but the terrible 
mountain seemed deserted, though of course 
someone might be on the other side. 

“What's that?” suddenly cried Ned, looking 
apprehensively at his chum. At the same time 
Tom jumped to his feet, for he had been kneel- 
ing near the camera. 

“Bless my: ” began Mr. Damon, but he got 
no farther, for suddenly the solid ground began 
to tremble and shake. 

“An earthquake!” shouted Mr. Nestor. 
“Come, Tom! Get back to the ship!” The young 
inventor and Ned had been the only ones to leave 
it, as it rested on a spur of the mountain. 

As Tom and Ned leaped forward to save the 
camera which was toppling to one side, there came 
a great fissure in the side of the volcano, and a 
stream of molten rock, glowing white with heat, 
gushed out. It was a veritable river of melted 
stone, and it was coming straight for the two lads. 

“Run! Run!” cried Mr. Nestor. “We have 
everything ready for a quick flight. “Run, Tom! 
Ned!” 

The lads leaped for the Flyer, the molten rock 
coming nearer and nearer, and then with a cry 
Koku sprang overboard and made a dash toward 
his master. 





CHAPTER XXV 
THE EARTHQUAKE—CONCLUSION 


“Here, Mr. Tom. Me carry you an’ Ned, 
You hold picture machine!” cried the giant. “Me 
run faster.” 

As he spoke he lifted Ned up under one arm, 
and caught Tom in the other. For they were but 
as children to his immense strength. Tom held 
on to his camera, and, thus laden down Koky 
ran as he had never run before, toward the wait~ 
ing airship. 

“Come on! Come on!” shouted Mr. Damon, 
for he could see what Tom, Ned and Koku could 
not, that the stream of lava was nearing them 
rapidly. 

“Tt’s hot!” cried Ned, as a wave of warm air 
fanned his cheek. 

“TI should say so!” cried Tom. “The volcano 
is full of red-hot melted stone.” | 

There came a sickening shake of the earth. 
Koku staggered as he ran on, but he kept his 


feet, and did not fall. Again came a hicks rh 
202 


THE EARTHQUAKE—CONCLUSION 203 


explosion, and a shower of fine ashes sifted over 
the airship, and on Koku and his living burdens. 

“This is the worst ever!” gasped Tom. “But 
P’ve got some dandy pictures, if we ever get away 
from here alive to develope them.” 

“Hurry, Koku! Hurry!” begged Mr. Nestor. 

“Bless my shoe laces!” yelled Mr. Damon, who 
was fairly jumping up and down on the deck of 
the Flyer. “Vl never go near a volcano again!” 

Once more the ground shook and trembled, as 
the earthquake rent it. Several cracks appeared 
in Koku’s path, but he leaped over them with 
tremendous energy. A moment later he had 
thrust Tom and Ned over the rail, to the deck, 
and leaped aboard himself. 

“Let her go!” cried Tom. “Tl do the rest of 
my moving picture work, around volcanoes and 
earthquakes, from up in the air!” 

The Flyer shot upward, and scarcely a moment 
too soon, for, an instant after she left the ground, 
the stream of hot, burning and bubbling lava 
rolled beneath her, and thosé on board could feet 
the heat of it ascending. 

_ “Say, I’m glad we got out of that when we 
did,” gasped Ned, as he looked down. “You’re 
all right, Koku.” 

“That no trouble,” replied the giant with a 
cheerful grin. “Me carry four fellows like you,” 


204. TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 
} 


and he stretched out his big arms. Tom had at 
once set his camera to working again, a 
wiew after view. 

It was a terrifying but magnificent sight that 
our friends beheld, for the earth was trembling 
and heaving. Great fissures opened in many 
places. Into some of them streams of lava 
poured, for now the volcano had opened in sev- 
eral places, and from each crack the melted rocks 
belched out. The crater, however, was not send- 
ing into the air such volumes of smoke and ashes 
as before, as most of the tremendous energy had 
passed, or was being used to spout out the lava. 

The earthquake was confined to the region 
right about the volcano, or there might have been 
a great loss of life in the city. As it was, the 
damage done was comparatively slight. 

Tom continued to take views, some showing 
the earth as it was twisted and torn, and other 
different aspects of the crater. Then, as sudden-. 
ly as the earthquake had begun, it subsided, and 
the volcano was less active. 

“My! I’m glad to see that!” exclaimed Mr. 
Damon. “I’ve had about enough of horrors!” 

“And I have too,” added Tom. “I’m on my 
last roll of film, and I can’t take many more pic- 
tures. But I guess I have all Mr. Period needs, 
and we'll start for home, as soon as I finish the 


THE EARTHQUAKE—CONCLUSION = 205 


next roll. But I’m going to save that for a night 
view. ‘That will be a novelty.” 7 

The volcano became active again after dark, 
and presented a magnificent though terrifying 
aspect. As the airship hovered above it, Tom 
got some of his best pictures, and then, as the 
Jast bit of film slipped along back of the lens, the 
airship was headed north. 

“Now for Shopton!” cried Tom. “Our trip is 
ended.” 

“It’s too bad you didn’t have more film,” said 
Ned. “I thought you had plenty.” 

“Well, I used more than I counted on, but there 
are enough pictures as it is.” 

“Plenty,” agreed Mr. Nestor. “I’m sure our 
company will be very well satisfied with them, 
Tom. Wecan’t get home any too soon to suit me. 
I’ve had enough excitement.” 

“And we didn’t see anything of those other 
fellows whom we heard about,” spoke Mr. 
Damon, as the big airship flew on. 

“No,” said Tom. “But ?’m not worrying about 
them.” 

They made another stop in Lima, on their 
homeward trip, to renew their supply of gaso- 
lene, and there learned that the rival picture men 
had arrived at the volcano too late to see it in 


206 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 


operation. This news came to a relative of one 
of the two men who lived in Lima. 

“Then our views of the earthquake and the 
ismoking mountain will be the only ones, and your 
company can control the rights,” said Tom to 
Mr. Nestor, who agreed with him. 

In due time, and without anything out of the 
ordinary happening the Flyer reached Shopton, 
where Tom found a warm welcome awaiting him, 
not only from his father, but from a certain 
young lady, whose name I do not need to mention. 

“And so you got everything you went after, 
didn’t you, Tom,” exclaimed Mr. Period, a few 
days later, when he had come from New York 
to get the remainder of the films. 

“Yes, and some things I didn’t expect,” re- 
plied Tom. “There was——” 

“Yes! Yes! I know!” iterrupted the odd pic- 
ture man. “It was that jungle fire. That’s a 
magnificent series. None better. And those 
scoundrels took your camera; eh?” 

“Yes. Could you connect them with Turbot 
and Eckert?” asked Tom. 

“No, but I’m sure they were acting for them 
just the same. I had no legal evidence to act on, 
however, so I had to let it go. Turbot and Eckert 
won't be in it when I start selling duplicates of 
the films you have. And these last ought to be 


THE EARTHQUAKE—CONCLUSION 207 


the best of all. I didn’t catch that fellow when 
I raced after him on the dock. He got away, and 
has steered clear of me since,” finished Mr. 
Period. . 

“And our rivals didn’t secure any views like 
ours,” said Tom. 

“Ym glad of it,” spoke Mr. Period. “Turbot 
and Eckert bribed one of my men, and so found 
out where I was sending messages to you. They 
even got a copy of my cablegram. But it did 
them no good.” 

“Were all the films clear that I sent you?” 
asked our hero. 

“Every one. Couldn’t be better. The animal 
“views were particularly fine. You must have had 
your nerve with you to get some of ’em.” 

“Oh, Tom always has his nerve,” laughed Ned. 

“Well, how soon will you be ready to start 
out again?” asked the picture man, as he packed 
up the last of the films which Tom gave him. 
“T’d like to get some views of a Japanese” earth- 
quake, and we haven’t any polar views. I want 
some of them, taken as near the North Pole as 
you can get.” 

Tom gently shook his Hebd 

“What! You don’t mean to say you won't get 
them for me?” cried Mr. Period. “With that 


208 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA © 


wonderful camera of yours you can get views no 
one else ever could.” 

“Then some one else will have to take thern,” 
remarked the young inventor. “I’Il lend you the 
icamera, and an airship, and you can go yourself, 
Mr. Period. I’m going to stay home for a whiile. 
I did what I set out to do, and that’s enough.” 

“Vm glad you’ll stay home, Tom,” said his 
father. “Now perhaps I'll get my gyroscope 
finished.” 7 

“And I, my noiseless airship,” went on “our 
hero. “No, Mr. Period, you’ll have to excuse 
me this time. Why don’t you go yourself?” he 
asked. “You would know just what kind of pic- 
tures you wanted.” 

“No, ’'m a promoter of the moving picture 
business, and I sell films, but I don’t know hew 
to take them,” was the answer. “Besides I-— 
er—well, I don’t exactly care for airships, Tom 
Swift,” he finished with a laugh. “Well, I can’t 
thank you enough for what you did for me, and 
I’ve brought you a check to cover your expenses, 
and pay you as I agreed. All the same I’m sorry 
you won’t start for Japan, or the North Pole.” 

“Nothing doing,” said Tom with a laugh; aud 
Mr. Period departed. | 

“Have you any idea what you will do next?” 


THE EARTHQUAKE—CONCLUSION 209 


asked Ned, a day or so later, when he and Tom 
were in the workshop. 

“T can’t tell until I finish my noiseless airship,” 
was the answer. “Then something may happen.” 

Something did, as I shall have the pleasure of 
telling you about in the next volume of this series, 
to be called, “Tom Swift and His Great Search- 
light; or, On the Border for Uncle Sam,” and in 
it will be given an account of a great lantern our 
hero made, and how he baffled the smugglers 
with it. 

“Oh, Tom, weren’t you dreadfully frightened 
when you saw that burning river of lava coming 
toward you?” asked Mary Nestor, when the 
young inventor called on her later and told her 
some of his adventures. “I should have been 
scared to death.” 

“Well, I didn’t have time to get scared,” an- 
swered Tom. “It all happened so quickly, and 
then, too I was thinking of my camera. Next I 
knew Koku grabbed me, and it was all over.” 

“But those wild beasts! Didn’t they frighten 
you, especially when the rhinoceros charged 
yous? 

“Tf you won't let it get out, I’ll make a con- 
fession to you,” said Tom, lowering his voice. “I 
was scared stiff that time, but don’t let Ned 
know it.” 


210 TOM SWIFT AND HIS W1ZARD CAMERA 


“T won't,” promised Mary with a laugh. And 
now, when Tom is in such pleasant company, we 
will take leave of him for a while, knowing that, 
sooner or later, he will be seeking new adventures 
as exciting as those of the past. 


THE END 


This Isn’t All! 


Would you like to know what 
became of the good friends you 
have made in this book? 


Would you like to read other 
stories continuing their adventures 
and experiences, or other books 
quite as entertaining by the same 
author ? 


On the reverse side of the wrap- 
per which comes with this book, 
you will find a wonderful list of 
stories which you can buy at the 
same store where you got this book. 


Don’t throw away the Wrappber 
Use it as a handy catalog of the books 


you want some day to have. “But in 
case you do mislay it, write to the 
Publishers for a complete catalog. 


id ’ e 5 4 
‘ : a a Sa bis . J ° 


~~, yi! * ae 4 


THE TOM SWIFT SERIES 
By VICTOR APPLETON 


= —————>—>—~>~>~>~eIY—~—~—~—~——es—E———E—EEEXx=_ ees 
Uniform Style of Binding. Individual Colored Wrappers« 
_ Every Volume Complete in Itself. 


Every boy possesses some form of inventive genius. 
Tom Swift is a bright, ingenious boy and his inventions 
and adventures make the most interesting kind of readings 


TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE 
TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS 
TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE 

TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 

TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL 

TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH 
TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT 

TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRLINE EXPRESS 


er EN TS OT TNE Seni hn achat nen eg 
Grosset & DuNLAaP, PUBLISHERS, New York 


Gc eae ae ee 


ET 
THE DON STURDY SERIES 
By VICTOR APPLETON 


Individual Colored Wrappers and Text Illustrations by 
WALTER S. ROGERS 
Every Volume Complete in Itself. 








In company with his uncles, one a mighty hunter and 
the other a noted scientist, Dont ‘Sturdy travels far and 
wide, gaining much useful ‘knowledge and meeting many 
thrilling adventures. 


DON STURDY ON THE DESERT OF 
MYSTERY; 


An engrossing tale of the Sahara Desert, of encounters with 
wild animals and crafty Arabs. 


DON STURDY WITH THE BIG SNAKE 
HUNTERS; 


Don’s uncle, the hunter, took an order for some of the biggest 
snakes to be found in South America—to be delivered alive! 


DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF GOLD; 

A fascinating tale of exploration and adventure in the Valley 
of Kings in Egypt. 
DON STURDY ACROSS THE NORTH POLE; 


A great polar blizzard nearly wrecks the airship of the 
explorers, 


DON STURDY IN THE LAND OF VOLCANOES ; 


_ An absorbing tale of adventures among the volcanoes of 
Alaska. 


DON STURDY IN THE PORT OF LOST SHIPS; 


This story is just full of exciting and fearful experiences on 
the sea. 


DON STURDY AMONG THE GORILLAS; 


A thrilling story of adventure in darkest Africa. Don is 
carried over a mighty waterfall into the heart of gorilla land. 


GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK 








THE RADIO BOYS SERIES 


(Trademark Registered) 
By ALLEN CHAPMAN 
Author of the ‘Railroad Series,” Etc. 


Individual Colored Wrappers. Illustrated. 
Every Volume Complete in Itself. 


A new series for boys giving full details of radio work, 
both in sending and receiving—telling how small and 
large amateur sets can be made and operated, and how 
some boys got a lot of fun and adventure out of what they 
did. Each volume from first to last is so thoroughly fas- 
cinating, so strictly up-to-date and accurate, we feel sure 
all lads will peruse them with great delight. 


Each volume has a Foreword by Jack Binns, the well- 
known radio expert. ; 


THE RADIO BOYS’ FIRST) WIRELESS 

THE RADIO BOYS AT OCEAN POINT 

THE RADIO BOYS AT THE SENDING 
STATION 

THE RADIO BOYS AT MOUNTAIN PASS 

THE RADIO BOYS TRAILING A VOICE 

THE RADIO BOYS WITH THE FOREST 
RANGERS 

(HE RADIO BOYS WITH THE ICEBERG 
PATROL 

THE RADIO BOYS WITH THE FLOOD 
FIGHTERS 

THE RADIO BOYS ON SIGNAL ISLAND 

THE RADIO BOYS IN GOLD VALLEY. 


GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK 





THE RAILROAD SERIES 
3 By ALLEN CHAPMAN 
Author of the “Radio Boys,” Etc. 


Uniform Style of Binding. Illustrated. 
Every Volume Complete in Itself. 


In this line of books there is revealed the whole workings 
of a great American railroad system. There are adventures 
in abundance—railroad wrecks, dashes through forest fires, 
the pursuit of a “wildcat” locomotive, the disappearance of 
a pay car with a large sum of money on board—but there 
is much more than this—the intense rivalry among railroads 
and railroad men, the working out of running schedules, 
the getting through “on time” in spite of all obstacles, and 
the manipulation of railroad securities by evil men whe 
wish to rule or ruin, 


RALPH OF THE ROUND HOUSE; 
Or, Bound to Become a Railroad Man. 


RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER; 

Or, Clearing the Track. 

RALPH ON THE ENGINE; 

Or, The Young Fireman of the Limited Mail. 
RALPH ON THE OVERLAND EXPRESS; 
Or, The Trials and Triumphs of a Young Engineer. 
RALPH, THE TRAIN DISPATCHER; 

Or, the Mystery of the Pay Car. 

RALPH ON THE ARMY TRAIN; 

Or, The Young Railroader’s Most Daring Exploit. 
RALPH ON THE MIDNIGHT FLYER; 

Or, The Wreck at Shadow Valley. 


RALPH AND THE MISSING MAIL POUCH; 
Or, The Stolen Government Bonds. 


eee 
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Pusuisoers, NEW YORK 
ee 


- 





THE RIDDLE CLUB BOOKS 
By ALICE DALE HARDY 


Individual Colored Wrappers. Attractively Illustrated. 
Every Volume Complete in Itself. 











Here is as ingenious a series of books for little folks as 
has ever appeared since “ Alice in Wonderland.” The idea 
of the Riddle books isa little group of children—three girls 
and three boys decide to form a riddle club. Each book is 
full of the adventures and doings of these six youngsters, 
but as an added attraction each book is filled with a lot of 
the best riddles you ever heard. 


THE RIDDLE CLUB AT HOME 


An absorbing tale that all boys and girls will enjoy reading, 
How the members of the club fixed up aclubroom in the Larue 
barn, and how they, later on, helped solve a most mysterious 
happening, and how one of the members won a valuable prize, 
is told in a manner to please every young reader. 


THE RIDDLE CLUB IN CAMP 


The club members went into camp on the edge of a beautiful 
lake. Here they had rousing good times swimming, boating 
and around the campfire. They fell in with a mysterious old man 
known as The Hermit of Triangle Island. Nobody knew his 
real name or where he came from until the propounding of a 
riddle solved these perplexing questions. 


THE RIDDLE CLUB THROUGH THE 
HOLIDAYS. 


This volume takes in a great number of winter sports, includ- 
ing skating and sledding and the building of a huge snowman. 
It also gives the particulars of how the club treasurer lost the 
dues entrusted to his care and what the melting of the great 
snowman revealed. 


THE RIDDLE CLUB AT SUNRISE BEACH 


This volume tells how the club journeyed to the seashore and 
how they not only kept up their riddles but likewise had good 
times on the sand and on the water. Once they got lost in a fog 
and are marooned on anisland. Here they made a discovery 
that greatly pleased the folks at home. 
foi 3 ESSERE AT A A RY GSE OERSL PTET OE SRS a GN aS) aN IE 


GROSSET & DUNLAP, Pusutsuers, NEW YORK 
(2 Gee 





Football and Baseball Stories 


Durably Bound. Illustrated. Colored Wrappers. 
Every Volume Complete in Itself. 


The Ralph Henry Barbour Books for Boys 


In these up-to-the-minute, spirited genuine stories of 
boy life there is something which will appeal to every boy 
with the love of manliness, cleanness and sportsmanship 
in his heart. 

LEFT END EDWARDS 
LEFT TACKLE THAYER 
LEFT GUARD GILBERT 
CENTER RUSH ROWLAND 
FULLBACK FOSTER 
LEFT HALF HARMON 
RIGHT END EMERSON 
RIGHT GUARD GRANT 
QUARTERBACK BATES 
RIGHT TACKLE TODD 
RIGHT HALF HOLLINS 


The Christy Mathewson Books for Boys 


Every boy wants to know how to play ball in the fairest 
and squarest way. “These books about boys and baseball 
are full of wholesome and manly interest and information. 

PITCHER POLLOCK 
CATCHER CRAIG 
FIRST BASE FAULKNER 
SECOND BASE SLOAN 
PITCHING IN A PINCH 


THIRD BASE THATCHER, By Everett Scott 
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK 














Jerry Todd and Poppy Ott Series 


BY LEO EDWARDS 








Durably Bound. Illustrated. Individual Colored Wrappers.” 
Every Volume Complete in Itself. 





Hundreds of thousands of boys who laughed until their 
sides ached over the weird and wonderful adventures of 
Jerry Todd and his gang demanded that Leo Edwards,: 
the author, give them more books like the Jerry Todd 
stories with their belt-bursting laughs and creepy shivers. ' 
So he took Poppy Ott, Jerry Todd’s bosom chum and 
created the Poppy Ott Series, and if such a thing could be 
possible—they are even more full of fun and excitement - 


than the Jerry Todds. 


THE POPPY OTT SERIES 
POPPY OTT AND THE STUTTERING PARROT 
POPPY OTT AND THE SEVEN LEAGUE STILTS) 
POPPY OTT AND THE GALLOPING SNAIL’ 
POPPY OTT’S PEDIGREED PICKLES 


THE JERRY TODD BOOKS 
JERRY TODD AND THE WHISPERING MUMMY 
JERRY TODD AND THE ROSE-COLORED CAT 
JERRY TODD AND THE OAK ISLAND TREASURE 
JERRY TODD AND THE WALTZING HEN 
JERRY TODD AND THE TALKING FROG 
JERRY TODD AND THE PURRING EGG 
JERRY TODD IN THE WHISPERING CAVE 


GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK 
eae eee ee enna 





ner ar na ee 


THE BOBBSEY TWINS BOOKS 


For Little Men and Women 
By LAURA LEE HOPE 
Author of ““The Bunny Brown Series,” Etc. 


Durably Bound. Illustrated. Uniform Style of Binding. 
Every Volume Complete in Itself. 


‘These books for boys and girls between the ages of three 
and ten stands among children and their parents of this 
generation where the books of Louisa May Alcott stood in 
former days. The haps and mishaps of this inimitable pair 
of twins, their many adventures and experiences are a 
source of keen delight to imaginative children everywhere. 
THE BOBBSEY ‘TWINS 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY 
THE BOBBSEY ‘TWINS AT ‘THE. SEASHORE 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SCHOOL 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGE 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON A HOUSEBOAT 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT MEADOW BROOK 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT HOME 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN A GREAT CITY 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON BLUEBERRY ISLAND 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON THE DEEP BLUE SEA 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE GREAT WEST 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT CEDAR CAMP 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE COUNTY FAIR 
THE BOBBSEY TWINS CAMPING OUT 
; THE BOBBSEY TWINS AND BABY MAY 

THE BOBBSEY TWINS KEEPING HOUSE 


THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT CLOVERBANK 

[oe Ste Ba ois ei oc saa ena hoe ER A SE AN SEE Te TA OTA SEEN SOS SS SE PASAT 
Grosset & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, New York 
ee 


THE HONEY BUNCH BOOKS 
By HELEN LOUISE THORNDYKE 


Individual Colored Wrappers and Text Illustrations Drawn by 
WALTER S. ROGERS 


Honey Bunch is a dainty, thoughtful little 
girl, and to know her is to take her to yous 
heart at once. | 

Little girls everywhere will want to dis- 
cover what interesting experiences she is 
having wherever she goes. 3 


HONEY BUNCH: JUST A LITTLE GIRU 


HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST VISIT’ TO 
veto DRE Coney 


HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST DAYS ON 
‘THE FARM | 


‘HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST VISIT TO 
THE SEASHORE 


HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST LITTLE 
GARDEN 


HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST DAYS 
IN CAMP 


HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST AUTO TOUR 


HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST TRIP ON 
THE OCEAN 


GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK 

















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